Cape Town business robbery foiled but three officers wounded

A police constable is in a critical condition‚ while two others were injured after they responded to a business robbery in Cape Town on Monday.

The constables from Nyanga police station were shot at with an AK47 assault rifle and other weapons after they responded to the call of a wounded security guard at a tavern in the Browns Farm township.

"Eager to stop the robbers in their tracks‚ police members were quick to respond to the incident‚ when they came under fire. In the process three constables aged 26‚ 32 and 44 and a security guard were shot and wounded on the scene and admitted to hospital‚" said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut.

Police sources said four suspects were inside the building and fired at police‚ while another three were outside giving their accomplices covering fire and then fled.

The police Special Task Force was then summoned to the scene to "extract" four suspects trapped inside the tavern.

"During their intervention the four suspects aged between 33 and 35 were arrested and one firearm was confiscated‚" said Traut.

None of the arrested suspects was wounded and they are currently being interrogated by police.

"The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation‚ and once charged‚ the suspects are due to make a court appearance on charges of attempted murder and attempted business robbery‚" said Traut.