Police officer, two suspects killed in Ngcobo gun battle

A dramatic shoot-out left an Eastern Cape  police officer and two suspects dead as cops foiled an armed robbery at a retail chain store in Ngcobo, in the Chris Hani District, on Saturday.

Police arrested the third suspect while two others managed to escape.

Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana confirmed that Sgt Vakele Mark Mjoli, 43, died in the line of duty.

Another officer, Const Mfundiso Ndede,35, sustained serious injuries.

"[He] was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical care,” Kinana said.

​Cases of murder, attempted murder, and an inquest are being investigated.

Ngcobo gained notoriety in February 2018 when five police officers and an off-duty soldier were shot dead by armed gunmen, who stormed the town's police station. Suspects were apprehended at the Seven Angels Ministry, a local isolationist religious cult.

Severn people were killed in the shoot-out with police after they raided the church compound.

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