- An elite gun team killed nine members of a ruthless gang
- They were suspected of raping a young girl in front of her mother
- The Durban gang is believed to be behind a series of brutal crimes
A police tactical firearms team in South Africa shot dead nine members of a ruthless gang suspected of raping a young girl in front of her screaming mother.
Justice was swift when the elite unit of top leadership was tasked with finding the eleven men who put their victim through such a sickening ordeal.
The ruthless gang from near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, is believed to be behind a series of serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery.
But as shocking details emerged from the mother of the sexually tortured girl who was repeatedly raped during a home invasion, officials ordered a crackdown on the criminal group.
Officers from the top KZN Provincial Stabilization Team were mobilized when a tip-off came in that the feared gang was planning to attack a rival boss.
A woman reacts after identifying the body of a family member killed during a police raid
Forensic investigators examine the scene where suspected criminals were killed during a police raid in Marianhill, near Durban
The ruthless gang from near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, is believed to be behind a series of serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery.
The unit was dropped off near a house identified as the gang’s headquarters in Desai, Mariannhill, but had accidentally surrounded the wrong address in the dark.
A lookout alerted the gang members inside who opened fire on the police unit, but the officers quickly regrouped and began firing back.
Within minutes, nine gang members lay dead.
The police hunt for the two known remaining members who escaped or were not present, and relay the news to the rape victim and her mother.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “The provincial stabilization team attacked the gang early on Wednesday morning.
‘The suspects were on our radar for serious and violent crimes, but then allegedly raped a young girl and made her mother watch during a home invasion.
‘The shooting took place when we received information that the gang had plans to attack a rival, so an action plan was quickly drawn up.
“Nine gang members have been shot dead and three firearms have been found in their possession so far and a manhunt for two suspects is underway,” he said.
Within minutes, nine gang members lay dead and their relatives were forced to identify their bodies
Police hunt for the two known remaining members who escaped or were not present, relaying the news to the rape victim and her mother
Colonel Netshiunda confirmed that the wrong house had been approached, but said: “Our team tactically retaliated and neutralized the threat without causing any harm to us.”
The unit was also in action in Durban last week when it was sent to an address where a gang wanted for a series of murders was said to have holed up and surrounded it.
The gang opened fire and the police retaliated, killing all four suspects inside.
South African police are currently waging a war against gangs engaged in a deadly battle for territory and control of the drug, liquor and prostitution markets.
Every day, 75 murders and 120 rapes take place in South Africa, mainly between rival gangs and in impoverished areas where police rarely go.
South African police are currently waging a war against gangs engaged in a deadly battle for territory and control of the drug, liquor and prostitution markets
An elite firearms unit shot dead a gang of nine suspected of gang-raping a young girl in front of her mother and other serious crimes in Durban
A South African Police detective in Durban said: ‘This group had been pushing for some time and this horrific gang rape was just the final straw.
‘It happened just before information came in about where the gang could be found, so the green light was given to arrest them, but they made a mistake by opening fire first.
“The response was immediate and when the shooting stopped, nine of those present were dead,” he said.
X users showed little sympathy with one statement: ‘I feel sorry for the parents. But those m*****f***kers had to die’.
Another said: ‘Case closed – great work’ and Bongani Kunene said: ‘Good riddance. Terrorizing our community. Fantastic job KZN police’.