WC police launch manhunt after six Anti-Gang Unit members shot in Nyanga

In a statement, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning during a tracing operation.

Western Cape police have launched a manhunt for suspects who shot and injured six members of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) this morning while tracing suspects in Nyanga, Cape Town.

In a statement, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning during a tracing operation.

"The members who were on a tracing operation in Sweet Home Farm informal settlement had just apprehended one suspect allegedly linked to recent murders in Samora Machel. As the members were searching for another suspect, also sought for a serious crime in the area, shots came from one of the shacks," said Potelwa.

Two members suffered serious injuries and four others were also wounded. They have all been admitted to hospital.

Novela said the area is difficult to access with a terrain that is poorly lit and shacks erected close to each other.

"Unfortunately, the area is also a hideout for dangerous criminals. Recently, a spate of murders took place in the area," police said in the statement.

Trauma counselling is currently offered to AGU members and police have launched a manhunt for the suspects.

The Anti-Gang Unit is a national approach to curbing gangsterism and drugs in areas considered to be gang hotspots.

Since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of the unit last year, hundreds of gang-related arrests have been made by the elite unit.

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)