A huge manhunt is under way for a heavily armed male suspect after two Australian police officers were shot dead and one injured in an ambush at a property in a small rural town in Victoria state.
Police described the situation in Porepunkah in the Australian Alps - some 300km (186 miles) north-east of Melbourne - as an active incident with hundreds of personnel deployed to find the suspect.
Officers were attacked as 10 of them attended the property to serve an arrest warrant, which Australian media said was for historical sex offences.
Police say the suspect escaped into the bush alone and on foot after the shooting. Officers are still trying to locate the man's wife and children.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush stated that 10 officers were dispatched to execute the warrant on Tuesday morning. He noted that the officers were fired upon by the armed suspect, who killed two colleagues: a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable.
A third officer was seriously injured and has been airlifted to hospital. The police chief emphasized that all available resources are being utilized in the manhunt for the suspect, and he urged locals to remain indoors for their safety.
“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community... We are grieving together,” said Alpine Shire Council Mayor Sarah Nicholas.
The suspected gunman is reported to be a self-declared sovereign citizen, a term used for individuals who believe they are not subject to governmental authority in Australia.
Gun crime is relatively rare in Australia, which has established some of the world's strictest gun control laws.
