2 police officers killed, another wounded in Australia ambush

Two police officers were shot dead and a third was wounded in an ambush at a rural property in southeastern Australia, in one of the deadliest attacks on law enforcement in the country in recent decades, according to local media.

The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in the community of Porepunkah, about 185 miles northeast of Melbourne, while officers were reportedly serving a routine firearms check, according to 7News.

Police sources told The Age that two officers were killed in what was described as an ambush, and another was shot in the thigh.

Local media reported that the gunman, described as a “sovereign citizen,” is known to police and is holding his wife and at least two children hostage.

According to The Age, heavy gunfire prevented police from entering the property as they awaited Special Operations officers.

Victoria Police said they were continuing to respond to the incident, adding that it remained an active situation. Nearby schools and business have been placed on lockdown.

Killings of multiple officers in a single incident are rare in Australia. One of the most recent was the 2022 Wieambilla shootings in Queensland, where two police officers and a neighbor were killed in an ambush at a rural property after officers arrived to investigate a missing person report.