Manhunt begins after bank raid shoot-out
An explosion and gunfire shattered the silence in the normally sleepy eastern German city of Magdeburg on in the early hours of Friday morning, as police became embroiled in a shoot-out with bank robbers.
The robbers set off an explosive at 3am outside a branch of the Sparkasse bank in an attempt to break into a cash machine. But they were interrupted by officers, a police spokesman said.
Unwilling to come out quietly, the criminals opened fire without warning, the spokesman added.
A gunfight ensued, and though no police officers were injured, the robbers were able to make their escape in a dark-coloured car, taking the Bundesstraße 1.
Though the officers took off in pursuit, they lost the car in the darkness. A helicopter with a thermal imaging device also failed to track down the robbers, and investigators do not know the car’s make or model.
A nationwide manhunt is now under way, with police making a call for witnesses who may have seen the car fleeing on a motorway in the early hours, to come forward.
The bank was severely damaged by the explosion, and it remains unclear whether the bank robbers managed to escape with any loot.
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The robbers set off an explosive at 3am outside a branch of the Sparkasse bank in an attempt to break into a cash machine. But they were interrupted by officers, a police spokesman said.
Unwilling to come out quietly, the criminals opened fire without warning, the spokesman added.
A gunfight ensued, and though no police officers were injured, the robbers were able to make their escape in a dark-coloured car, taking the Bundesstraße 1.
Though the officers took off in pursuit, they lost the car in the darkness. A helicopter with a thermal imaging device also failed to track down the robbers, and investigators do not know the car’s make or model.
A nationwide manhunt is now under way, with police making a call for witnesses who may have seen the car fleeing on a motorway in the early hours, to come forward.
The bank was severely damaged by the explosion, and it remains unclear whether the bank robbers managed to escape with any loot.
READ MORE: Top cop keeps job despite rape conviction
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