Police have launched a manhunt for a gang of men who bombed an ATM at a Dalpark petrol station on Monday morning.
According to SAPS information, about 13 armed men stormed the Engen garage near Carnival City during the early hours.
Police were notified of the incident at around 01:30. The robbers approached the premises on foot and fired shots towards the shop.
Several more shots were fired inside the shop. The robbers then took cash from the till and cigarettes.
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The in-store ATM was bombed, and garage staff reported hearing four explosions. The robbers’ attempts to bomb open the ATM’s vault to get to the cash, however, appear to have been unsuccessful.
As they made their getaway, the robbers encountered personnel from a security company and opened fire on the responding officers.
The two security officers, travelling in separate vehicles, gave chase. A shoot-out ensued and a security vehicle was struck by a bullet.
The robbers escaped into the darkness of a nearby open field. The SAPS bomb squad was called to the scene to check for undetonated explosives and to ensure the building was safe.
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