UPDATE: Two arrested following Mariannhill, Howick shootout
Two suspected robbers are under police guard at a local hospital after officers shot dead nine of their alleged accomplices.
Investigators say the armed gang was heading to Bulwer, near Underberg yesterday when cops, who had been tipped off about their planned robbery, cut them off.
The gunmen then split up, sending police on a double chase, that ended with shootouts on the N3 just before the Mariannhill Toll Plaza and in Mpophomeni, near Howick.
"Two rifles as well as a handgun were recovered from the vehicle. A case of attempted murder, the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition will be opened for further investigation.
"It's suspected that these suspects were wanted for a number of crimes in the province," the SAPS's Thulani Zwane says.
For more on this and other developing stories, here's your latest Newswatch bulletin.