Two police officers were shot and killed in Inanda in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Saturday.
Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the two officers from Inanda police station had responded to a complaint about a fight at a local tavern at about 11.40pm on Friday.
When the officers arrived at the tavern, they were confronted by a mob of more than twenty people who overpowered and took their firearms.
Identified only as Inspector Gumede and Constable Xulu, the two officers were then shot in the head and killed, Mdunge said.
Two other officers responded to the incident and were attacked by the same group of people on their way to the scene.
One of the officers had his firearm taken from him but they both managed to escape uninjured.
No arrests have been made. Two cases of murder, two of attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances were being investigated.
The motive for the attack was unknown but police suspected that the reported fight at the tavern was a plot to ambush the officers. Police were working ”very hard” to identify the suspects, said Mdunge. – Sapa