Nine members of a gang whose 11-man posse gang-raped a young girl and forced the her mother to watch, during a home invasion robbery, killed in shootout with South African police

An elite police strike force was dispatched to raid the gang’s headquarters in Desai, near Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal Province early Wednesday

Police said members of the gang, in their teens and twenties, were wanted for multiple violent crimes in KwaZulu-Natal

Relatives of the alleged gang members asked to identify the bodies were seen sobbing at the scene

Manhunt has been launched for the two known survivors who ‘either escaped or were not present’, police said 

A relative wails uncontrollably after identifying the body of a family member killed during the shootout with police raid party in Desai, Durban, South Africa on Wednesday

A police tactical firearms team in South Africa shot dead nine members of a brutal gang suspected of raping a young girl in front of her screaming mother. Police said members of the gang, three aged 18 while others were in their twenties, were wanted for multiple violent crimes in KwaZulu-Natal.
Swift justice was handed out when the elite unit was ordered by top brass to find the eleven men who had put their victim through such a sickening ordeal.
The ruthless gang based near Durban, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, police believed is behind a series of brutal crimes including murder and armed robbery in the area.

After shocking details emerged from the family of the sexual assault victim who was repeatedly raped during a home invasion, authorities ordered a crackdown on the criminal group.
Acting on a tip that the murderous gang was planning a hit on a rival gang boss, officers from the crack KZN Provincial Stabilization Team were detached to track down the fugitives.

Members of the police forensic team collect evidence from the scene where suspected criminals were killed during a shootout with police raid in Marianhill near Durban, South African, in the early hours of Wednesday

The police strike force was initially dropped off close to a house identified as the gang headquarters in Desai, Mariannhill. However in the darkness the team mistakenly surrounded the wrong house.
A gang lookout then alerted the gangsters inside who opened fire on the police unit. Officers returned fire and within minutes nine members of the gang members had been killed.
Police launched a manhunt for the known survivors – two gang members – who either escaped or who were not present at the encounter.
The rape victim and her mother have been appraised of the developments in the case, police said.

The ruthless gang based near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, police believe, is behind a wave of brutal crimes including murder and armed robbery

KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: ‘The Provincial Stabilization Team pounced on the gang in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
‘The suspects had been on our radar for serious and violent crimes but then allegedly raped a young girl and made her mother watch during a house robbery.
‘The shoot-out happened when we received intelligence that the gang were plotting to execute a hit on a rival so an action plan was quickly put into place.
‘Nine gang members were shot dead and three firearms have so far been found in their possession and a manhunt for two suspects is underway’ he said.

The overmatched gangsters fired on the police raid party from their headquarters, instead nine gang members were killed within minutes. Their relatives were forced to identify their bodies 

Relatives identify the bodies as they are brought out from the gang’s HQ and loaded into vans for transportation to the morgue

Relatives sob as they leave after identifying the bodies of the young men killed during the confrontation with police

Local residents watch as police secure the area with crime scene tape. Nine members of the 11-man gang were killed in the shootout with police. Authorities in KZN are hunting the two known remaining members who either escaped or were not present at the time

Colonel Netshiunda confirmed the wrong house was approached but said: ‘Our team tactically retaliated and neutralist the threat with no injuries to us’.
South African law enforcement is fighting crime rates largely engendered by turf wars between rival gangs battling each other for territory and control of the drugs, liquor market as well as the sex trade.
The crime rate in South Africa has climbed to an estimated 75 murders and 120 rapes a day, mainly carried out between rival gangs and in the impoverished areas where law enforcement presence is not heavy.
In a separate incident the previous week, the KZN Provincial Stabilization Team was dispatched to an address where a gang wanted for a string of murders was said to be holed up. The suspects opened fire on the police team that surrounded the hideout. Police returned fire killing all four suspects.

Police in South Africa currently face rising violence as gangs engage in a deadly battle for territory and control of the drugs and liquor market, as well as the sex trade

An elite firearm unit, Wednesday, shot dead a gang of 9 suspected of the gang rape of a young girl in front of her mother and other serious crimes in the area around Durban, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province

A South African Police detective based in Durban said: ‘This group had been pushing and pushing for a while and this horrific gang rape was just the final straw.
‘It happened just before info came in to where the gang could be found so the green light was given to arrest them but they made a mistake in opening fire first.
‘The response was instant and when the shooting stopped 9 of those inside were dead’ he said.
X users showed little sympathy with one saying: ‘I feel sorry for the parents. But those [expletive], had to die’.
Another said: ‘Case closed – beautiful work’ and Bongani Kunene said: ‘Good riddance. Terrorizing our community. Fantastic job KZN police’.