FRIDAY, 5.00PM:
A GUNFIGHT between villagers and an army patrol left four dead and eight wounded in northern KwaZulu-Natal this morning. Villagers in a house in Nkandla in the Nkombe area suddenly opened fire on a patrol soldiers searching for firearms in an area with a long history of factional clashes.
A seven-minute battle ensued, during which four villagers were shot dead and seven injured. Provincial police spokesman Director Bala Naidoo said this afternoon an AK47 rifle, a R5 rifle, five hunting rifles, five .303 rifles and 10 pistols were recovered after the skirmish.
The wounded villagers and one wounded soldier were taken to the Vryheid hospital 50kms away. Naidoo said reinforcement security forces have been sent to the area, to continue the weapons search.