Two of 18 people killed during a shoot-out with police identified

Two of the 18 people who were killed during a shoot-out with police on Friday in Louis Trichardt in Limpopo have been identified. The body of a woman from Tshikota, in Louis Trichardt, has been identified by her family.

The second deceased has been identified as the owner of the house where the shoot-out happened.

Meanwhile, members of the police’s bomb squad have arrived at the scene.

Police say it might take one more day to process the scene. Only two of the 18 bodies have been removed from crime scene.

The process of removing the other 16 is underway.

It has emerged that amongst those killed were a domestic worker and a gardener, but their families are yet to arrive to confirm their identities.

Meanwhile, the bomb squad is conducting forensic investigations on explosives and firearms which were found in the house after the shoot-out.

Video: Police shoot 18 CIT suspects dead in Limpopo

While police were having a shoot-out with the gang in Louis Trichardt, four people were arrested in Thohoyandou at a house that is linked to the group.

Police indicated the gang’s involvement in a string of cash-in-transit robberies across three provinces.

Commissioner Masemola says they also recovered vehicles, including an ambulance which was going to be used to transport the money to Gauteng.

One police officer was also shot and seriously injured during the shoot-out. He is being treated at a local hospital.

Masemola says those killed came from different provinces including, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Executive Director at SA Terrorism Analysis Centre, Andy Grudko, talks about South Africa’s intelligence and the wave of brazen and violent crimes in the country: