GEORGE TOWN: Police shot dead three men during an encounter at Puncak Bukit Mutiara, Tanjong Bungah here this morning.
The three men – believed to have been foreigners in their 30s – had charged at the policemen with parangs in the 5am incident.
The policemen had been responding to an emergency call by a female resident in the area that prowlers were attempting to break into her house.
When they arrived at the location, the trio fled to a nearby forest.
“During the pursuit, the three men suddenly tried to turn on the policemen using parangs. The officers were forced to open fire,” said deputy chief of Penang’s Criminal Investigation Department (Intelligence/Operations) Assistant Commissioner Rahimi Raais.
He said the identities of the dead foreigners have yet to be established – but they are believed to be have been behind at least eight housebreaking cases on the island’s east coast.
The forensics team is currently probing the location of the incident, where three parangs were found, Rahimi added.