Kwazulu Natal police have arrested 16 suspects following an attack on a taxi rank in Durban in which one person was killed and two others were wounded.
The drama unfolded late Friday afternoon when police said heavily armed gunmen in a mini-bus opened fire at the taxi rank in Brook Street, before speeding off.
KZN police said three were wounded, with one of the victims, a 56-year-old man, dying later in hospital.
Spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, said: “the suspects fled towards Pinetown and a police officer from the Pinetown Task Team spotted the suspects’ vehicle on Chelsea Avenue, New Germany and gave chase”.
Mbhele said the suspects opened fire on the officer, who fired back.
She said no one was wounded but the suspects abandoned their vehicle and ran into a building in Scott Road, Pinetown.
“The National Intervention Unit was called in. A total of 16 suspects were arrested and a total of 17 firearms were seized which include nine rifles, a shotgun and seven pistols,” Mbehel said.
She said the suspects will be charged for with murder and attempted murder including the attempted murder of the Pinetown police officer.
Colonel Mbhele said that the firearms recovered will be sent for ballistic testing to ascertain if they were used in any other cases.
KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa has commended the swift response by police.
