Policeman, 2 Soldiers Killed in South Africa
A policeman was shot dead and two South African soldiers were killed in separate clashes, police and military spokesmen said Friday.
The policeman died after he stopped a vehicle near the Indian Ocean city of East London. The occupants, suspected of being guerrilla fighters, opened fire, killing the officer and seriously wounding another, police said.
The two soldiers were killed Thursday in a skirmish with guerrillas of the South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) in northern Namibia, the South African Defense Forces said.
The men were part of a patrol pursuing a group of about 20 guerrillas into bush country near the border with Angola. Nine guerrillas were also killed in the clash, a military spokesman said.
SWAPO is fighting for the independence of Namibia, which South Africa rules in defiance of the United Nations.
Also on Friday, South African police reported that three black men were stabbed to death near the southeastern city of Pietermartizburg. Hundreds of blacks have been killed in factional fighting over the last year in the area.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
