Smanga Kumalo (Johannesburg) – Police are hunting four gunmen who shot and seriously wounded two policemen on the M2 highway near Joe Slovo off-ramp in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon, Gauteng police said. Police officers aged 30 and 37 were shot and wounded in a shoot-out on the M2 highway.
Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the officers were patrolling the highway when they spotted four suspicious men in a Mercedes Benz.
According to Dlamini, police tried to pull the car off the road, then occupants started firing shots at them with assault rifles (possibly R5s).
He said the police officers were both shot in the upper body and the suspects then drove away.
Later the police officers were rushed to a nearby hospital. “Police are searching for the four suspects,” confirmed Dlamini.
A large police contingent, with weapons drawn, appeared to be searching the area for the men. Just before 2pm, one of the officers could be seen lying on the ground while paramedics attended to him.
A police helicopter hovered low above the ground, while traffic ground to a halt on the busy highway.
Scores of motorists pulled their cars over to the curb to see what was happening.
