South African police engaged in a fierce shootout that resulted in 18 fatalities in the country's northeast. The deceased include sixteen men and two women. The incident unfolded as law enforcement intercepted a group of suspects believed to be planning a cash truck robbery.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) released a statement detailing the encounter, explaining that when the police approached the location, the suspects initiated gunfire, prompting a swift and retaliatory response. Tragically, all sixteen male and two female suspects were declared dead at the scene.
During the exchange, a police officer sustained severe injuries and was immediately transported for medical attention, according to SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who briefed reporters in Makhado, Limpopo province, situated approximately 400 kilometers northeast of Johannesburg. The intense shootout lasted approximately 90 minutes.
The operation to thwart the suspected robbery had been in progress for several days, with police monitoring the suspects' movements. This probe, initiated in January with the assistance of the country's intelligence unit, aimed to apprehend the suspects before they could carry out the planned crime, as emphasized by Masemola.
Cash truck heists are not uncommon in South Africa, a nation grappling with high crime rates. In a similar incident last year, ten suspects lost their lives in a cash-in-transit shootout with the police. The confrontation escalated when the would-be robbers fired at a police helicopter, injuring one of the pilots.
In May, Police Minister Bheki Cele expressed concerns over the "stubborn increase" in cash-in-transit robberies, with a surge of over 20% reported, including 64 cases within the first three months of the year.
The ongoing rise in crime statistics has raised alarm in a country already plagued by one of the world's highest crime rates. Law enforcement agencies have been intensifying efforts to combat serious and violent crimes nationwide.
Furthermore, as part of the operation, four individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged cash truck robbery plot. Masemola disclosed that the suspects had an explosive device ready for use, with intentions to target one of the cash depots in the province. Their plan involved using an ambulance to transport the stolen money to Gauteng province.
