Some police officers deployed for anti-robbery duties in the Eastern Region were on Tuesday dawn attacked by a robbery gang.
The robbers, allegedly wielding AK47 assault rifles, were on Akyem-Ettokrom-Bunso stretch to rob commuters when the Police vehicle with police officers bumped into them.
The robbers, according to a police source, upon seeing the police vehicle, opened fire through the windscreen.
The Police officers, who were taken by surprise, took cover and returned fire and the driver confidently drove to safety.
The exchange of fire, which lasted for few minutes, forced the robbers to flee into a nearby bush.
The patrol team could not find them after invading a nearby bush.
The Police further mounted a search in nearby houses and some health facilities but could not arrest any of the suspects.
However, after conducting searches at the crime scene, they were able to retrieve five spent shells of AK 47.
DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, who speaks for the Eastern Regional Police Command, confirmed the incident to Adom News.
The Akyem-Tafo-Bunso stretch is notorious for robberies.
The armed robbery gangs terrorizing residents in Akyem Abuakwa North, for instance, in June this year mounted a roadblock and succeeded in robbing many vehicles.
One of the robbers shot and killed a female trader identified only as Victoria who was onboard one of the vehicles heading to Akyem Begoro to buy tomatoes.
The robbers escaped into the bush before the arrival of the Police patrol team.
The Police patrol team later mobilised the youth in the Communities to help chase the robbers in the bush.
After several minutes of pursuing the robbers in the bush at site two near Bunso, the two suspects – Haruna Amadu, 25, and Joseph Nyira, 25, were arrested.