Two out of five suspected armed robbers were killed at dawn yesterday in a fierce gun battle between them and their prospective victim in a house at Sowutuom (Israel), near Kwashieman, Accra. The three remaining attackers fled the scene when their two colleagues fell from the bullets of the man they had intended to rob. The exchange of fire took place in the house of a retired police officer when the five masked robbers, armed with deadly weapons broke into his room and began ransacking the place in search of valuables. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) - Felix Anyidoho, the Odorkor District Crime Officer, who confirmed the story, said the retired police officer was awakened by a loud bang when the assailants used a cement block to break the front door of his bedroom at about 1: 00 am. After smashing the door open, the five robbers, armed with pump action guns and machetes, then entered the bedroom, found the victim in bed and ordered him at gun point to lie on the floor. The robbers, whose ages ranged between 20 and 28, then told the victim to surrender all the money he had or lose his life. When he told them that he had no money, three of them ransacked the room while two others watched him closely. During the search, the robbers found an undisclosed sum of money and took it away, together with the victim’s mobile phone, after subjecting him to beatings and humiliation for sometime. Not satisfied with the booty in hand, and convinced that the victim posed no further danger, the robbers then broke into the bedroom of the victim's son, using another cement block. After a brief struggle, all five entered the room, leaving the ex-police officer alone in the other room. On realising that all five robbers had gone to attack his son, the old policeman quickly got up, took his double barreled gun and engaged the well armed men in a violent shoot out. With his experience in weapon handling, he managed to gun down two of the robbers, upon which the other three took to their heels with their booty. After the incident, the victim reported the matter to the Odorkor Police, who visited the scene to conduct investigations. They also took as exhibits two masks and two sharp machetes the robbers had left behind and transported the two bodies to the Police Hospital in Accra for post-mortem. ASP Anyidoho stated that the police had intensified their search for the three robbers who were on the run. Source: Daily Graphic