Nine gang-rapists shot dead by cops in ‘slaughterhouse’ gun battle after savaging woman, 24, in front of mum & sister
NINE thugs were gunned down by cops after gang-raping a young woman in front of her terrified mum and sister.
A vile gang of 11 men terrorised the neighbourhood in Durban, South Africa, for more than a year before breaking into the family's home.
The brutes - aged between 18 and 22 - were wanted for at least five murders.
They had used automatic weapons, pistols and machetes to intimidate locals and forced three families out of their homes in Mariannhill, which they took over as their gang HQ.
But on Wednesday, cops finally busted the warped group after they gang-raped a 24-year-old woman.
Ruthless masked gunmen burst in through the family's kitchen door last Thursday at around midnight as the woman, her mum, 52, and sister, 16, slept.
They demanded money before assaulting the mum and teen girl.
The armed culprits then targeted the elder daughter - stripping her and taking it in turns to rape her in front of her horrified mum and sister.
Her traumatised mum said she could hear her daughter screaming for help.
Less than a week later, nine of the thugs were shot dead by firearm officers after a two-minute gun battle.
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Cops had received a tip off about the location of the gang's hideout from the crack KZN Provincial Stabilisation Team.
Officers went in under the cloak out of darkness, but a lookout warned the criminals.
The gang opened fire first - prompting the firearms unit to return a barrage of fire that killed nine of the crooks.
Two of the gang are believed to have escaped and are being hunted down by the team.
'CLOSURE'
On Wednesday, the families of the nine killed made a tearful procession past dozens of police vehicles and pathology teams to identify them.
But the mother of the young woman raped has praised police for restoring peace in their neighbourhood.
She said: "My daughter will now get peace from this.
"The 52-year-old mum added: "I will be able to sleep at last and I know my daughter will have peace in her heart as she knows that she will never ever see those boys again.
"It is so hard every day having to live with having seen your daughter raped in front of you.
"It won’t change what happened but it will bring closure to my daughter and to all of us as a family."
The mum, who wanted to remain anonymous to protect her daughter, said she knew the thugs.
She added: "What makes it worse is these were young boys I saw grow up in front of me and then they found drugs and firearms and then in numbers they grew and became so powerful.
“I don’t think my daughter will ever come back to stay here with me after what happened and I also think I’ll be coming back to my house any time soon – I may have to sell it."
CRIME WAVE
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Col Robert Netshiunda said the suspects were already on their radar after a number of murders, rapes, armed robberies and assaults in the area.
Col Netshiunda added: “The Provincial Stabilisation Team pounced on the gang in the early hours of Wednesday morning and the shoot-out happened when they open fire on us.
“The suspects have been behind a number of serious and violent crimes including murder but then raped this young girl and had made her mother watch during a house robbery.
“Information was received that the gang were planning a hit and we received intelligence giving an address and nine gang members were shot dead and a hunt is on for two others”.
Police sources said at the time the police moved in on the gang they had just robbed two locals at gunpoint and were inside their HQ planning an execution of a rival gang boss.
One said: “Information came our way that they were putting together a hit and that all 11 would be there and we took out 9 of them but unfortunately two of them got away.
“But we are on their tail and they most definitely will not be coming back here” he said.
Community police forum chairman Dawood Chirwa said: “This area had become a no-go zone and it’s sad because these were just young kids that were known and grew up here.
“Then they got guns and brought terror to our community. A scared community can’t do much because you report them and word goes round and these boys come back for you”
Police found guns and a rifle in the house and are searching for two more gang members
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South African Police in KZN are said to be waging a war on criminals who open fire on them first and so far this year some 37 suspects in KZN Province have been shot dead.
Every day in South Africa there are 75 murders and 120 rapes mainly carried out between rival gangs and in the impoverished areas where police patrols rarely venture.
