Two police operatives attached to the Anambra State Command have been killed by hoodlums.

The operatives were killed in Nnewi during a gun duel with the hoodlums on Thursday morning.

It was gathered that during the duel, the hoodlums tossed an improvised explosive device (IED) at the police operatives, and it exploded, killing two of the men in the squad.

Meanwhile, the State Police Command has confirmed the incident.

The spokesperson of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement, said a manhunt for the attackers is ongoing.

He said: “Joint Security Force, begins manhunt operation on armed men who murdered two police operatives on investigation activities in the early hours of today 3/10/2024 at Uruagu, Nnewi North.

“Preliminary information reveals that the armed men started shooting sporadically on sighting the police operatives and threw an improvised explosive into their operational vehicle.

“Unfortunately, two of the operatives paid the supreme price while the vehicle caught fire.

“Given the above, the Command calls on members of the public especially the eyewitnesses and others to aid the ongoing Police operations in the area.

“You can call the Command Control Room at 07039194332 or the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at 08039334002 for any necessary assistance and be assured the utmost confidentiality in this regard.”