Eastern Cape police station attack death toll rises to seven

The death toll in Wednesday morning’s execution-style attack on an Eastern Cape police station has risen to seven.

Expressing his condolences‚ Premier Phumulo Masualle confirmed that another police officer had died in hospital.

Earlier‚ police said that three police officers and an off-duty soldier had died in the attack on the police station‚ between Mthatha and Queenstown.

The bodies of two more police officers were found about 6km away. It is not clear at this stage whether they were following the suspects from the police station or responding to the attack when they were killed. Another police officer died later in hospital.

“What is especially disturbing is the message that this attack is sending to our communities‚ who rely and depend on the police for their own protection in their streets and in their homes‚’’ Masualle said.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this barbaric attack on our police officers and innocent souls‚ we also hasten to offer our heart-felt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this manner.’’

While a motive for the attack has not yet been revealed‚ national police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said:

“We have established that the suspects have robbed an ATM a short distance away from the police station‚ stolen 10 firearms as well as a police van from the station.”