Cover image via Bernama
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Two men were shot dead in a shootout with police near the North-South Expressway entrance ramp in Jitra, Kedah, over the weekend
According to Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh, the incident occurred around 8am on Saturday, 5 July, when a police patrol unit spotted a suspicious four-wheel drive (4WD) and attempted to intercept it.
Instead of stopping, the men, believed to be part of a violent crime syndicate, opened fire on the officers, prompting police to return fire, reported Bernama.
"The suspects then opened fire on the police vehicle, ending in a shootout that left both suspects killed in the vehicle," he was quoted as saying at the scene.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a revolver, a semi-automatic pistol, along with several rounds of ammunition, a machete, and other tools
One of the suspects, a 41-year-old man, was found to have over 40 past criminal records. The identity of the second suspect has not been confirmed.
Police believe the two men were part of a larger syndicate involved in violent crimes across Malaysia, including drug trafficking, factory break-ins, armed robberies, and gangsterism. The group is believed to have been active since 2020.
"So far, the Forensic Unit has found three bullet casings at the scene. The bodies of the two suspects have been sent to the Forensic Department at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for a post-mortem. The case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder," Fisol said.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman CID acting director Datuk Seri Fadil Marsus, who was present at the scene, said the suspects may be connected to a criminal gang based in Klang, Selangor.
The police forensic unit at the scene of the shootout in Jitra, Kedah.
Image via FMTThis shootout follows a spate of other gun-related attacks across Malaysia
The Kedah shootout is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving firearms in Malaysia over the past few weeks.
Earlier this month, on 1 July, a man in his 40s was ambushed by two masked gunmen on a motorcycle while waiting to pick up his child from a school in Penang.
The incident, which took place during peak school pick-up hours, saw multiple shots fired at the driver's side of his parked 4WD. Miraculously, the man survived. Police are still investigating the motive behind the attempted hit.
Just days earlier, on 20 June, a 46-year-old businessman was shot dead in broad daylight outside a motorcycle shop in Taman Meru Utama, Klang.
Selangor police confirmed that the killing was gang-related, tied to a dispute between two rival groups. Two suspects have since been arrested, and investigators believe it was a targeted, coordinated hit, not a random act of violence.
