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GOTCHA: One of the men arrested for trying to rob a hardware in Soweto last night. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO

Police waited as the 10-men gang approached the Cash Build hardware store in Dobsonville following a tip-off about the pending robbery.

Police say one of the killed suspects was on bail for another shoot-out incident with police that had taken place in Northern Cape.

Three of the men were arrested while four managed to escape.

"And when they realised that they were cornered, the suspects, some of whom were armed with AK-47 rifles, fired at police, who returned fire," said the Hawks' spokesman McIntosh Polela.

He said earlier in the day, police received a tip-off that a major robbery was going to take place at the hardware and that they needed to be prepared.

"Our task team then hid around the area, and when the suspects approached they tried to stop them ... but the men started shooting at police. They used different guns including AK-47s," said Polela.

He said the men with AK-47s managed to escape, and police were only able to arrest three suspects. "We discovered only one pistol on the men we managed to arrest."

Residents living near Tshepo Themba Hospital said they heard "massive" gun shots in the street and wondered what was happening.

"At first I thought the shoot-out was happening in the hospital yard, but when I checked I saw people carrying guns running away," said a resident who asked not to be named.

"It was just fortunate that innocent people were not injured or killed because the way the situation was, anything could have happened," the resident said.

Cars coming or going to hospital were affected as the area was cordoned off for about five hours.

Polela said the suspects were expected to appear in court tomorrow to face attempted armed robbery and attempted murder charges.

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Thu Jun 20 03:33:04 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 11, 2012

Papage

Then go get the one with AK47 before he kills more people.
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Jun 11, 2012

MrPresident

In this cold freezing weather some stupid people !!! Mara Really batho ba modimo
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Jun 11, 2012

TshamulungwiBoy

Cele's style. they must sniff dust atleast three are done. yaa ne but criminals "Police say one of the killed suspects was on bail for another shoot-out incident with police that had taken place in Northern Cape." now he decided to die around GP.

Leave by sword die by sword
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Jun 11, 2012

Kasiologist

Clean up the force, both police and soldiers. AK-47 was leaked from there.
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Jun 11, 2012

sabza007

Damn! Whoever leaked the plan must have been very angry that he/she was left out of the loot. Good job though from the police, but how do people carrying heavy guns managed to escape? or police were scared to follow them?
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Jun 11, 2012

Mnikie

maybe thy r hired from one of the police who is suspended or fired from work.i mean of u r so angry anything is possible for revenge.
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Jun 11, 2012

PORQUENOMEQUIERES

And the ones with Ak-47s..were are they?brothers and sisters watch out, wear bullet-proofs,bullet-proof windows for your cars and houses,keep your gates locked,some criminals enter anywhere when escaping,your house might be if your gate is not locked!
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Jun 11, 2012

PolotiKhal

@ Kasiologist I concur ninja..the our FOrces need sum serious cleaning, all these weapons rooming the street when they're supposed to be protecting the masses. SAPS must be one of the most dangerous and corrupt police forces in the world.

We do however, have a few that take the job seriously and give it that much needed dignity. Big up to them.
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Jun 11, 2012

snazz

Good work to the men and women in blue.....................
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Jun 11, 2012

Papage

I just wonder how much informers gets after such a good work they did.
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