Six individuals wanted for murder and extortion were killed in a shootout with South African police in Durban late Monday, authorities reported.
The suspects were linked to a recent spate of killings, including a triple murder on Friday and the execution-style slaying of four others on Sunday. According to a police statement released Tuesday, the confrontation occurred at a rented holiday apartment near Durban’s South Beach district, where the suspects engaged in a gunfight with law enforcement.
South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates globally, saw an average of 68 murders per day between April and June, as revealed by police data last week.
The police had been tracking the suspects since Sunday’s brutal killings, where victims were forced to lie down before being shot execution-style in the back of the head. The suspects are also believed to have ties to the illicit drug trade, according to police.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is expected to address lawmakers later on Tuesday regarding the country’s escalating levels of extortion.
