17 Sep 2008

Three die robbers shot dead by police in Papua New Guinea

2:11 pm on 17 September 2008

Papua New Guinea police have shot dead three robbers during a local store hold-up.

Kimbe police, in PNG's West New Britain Province, shot the three on Friday as eight men were fleeing the shop with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Local newspaper the National says the robbers had abandoned their stolen getaway car before holding up a bus to drive out of town.

The provincial police commander Richard Mulou says one of the dead was a jail escapee.

He says the robbers were wild and had slashed at anyone in sight, startling workers and onlookers at the supermarket

Mr Mulou says all three had been involved in previous robberies in the area.