Six people including two police officers have been shot dead in a suspected ambush at a remote property in Australia. Police said they are looking for a missing person in Wieambilla, 270 km west of Brisbane, Queensland since they were fired upon, reported BBC. The motive of the incident remains unclear as per the authorities. However, three suspects were shot dead after a long siege.
Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese said that it is a 'heartbreaking day' for the nation.
During the time of the incident, upon the request of New South Wales police, four police officials of Queensland were called up to the property on Monday. Out of the four, two constables named Matthew Arnold (26-year-old) and Rachel McCrow (29-year-old) were shot dead while they were approaching, third suffered a 'bullet graze', the fourth, however, fled.
Along with the police officers, an unidentified person aged 58 also died during the siege.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll while describing the incident as an 'unimaginable tragedy' said that this is the force's largest loss of life in years, reported BBC.
Upon visiting the site of the incident on Tuesday, she said: "Those officers did not stand a chance. The fact that two got out alive is a miracle." She added that Arnold and McCrow were comparatively new to the force but both had earned a name for themselves for being committed and courageous.
Before specialist police came and took over the operation, a squad of 16 local officers had "bravely" attempted to rescue the duo in the hopes that they were still alive, she added.
The siege went on for hours before the suspects, two men and one woman who have not been named, were shot.
Since the investigation was still going on, Carroll stated that she could not remark on a potential motive or whether police were led to the property. The encounter, according to her, involved the use of "many weapons."
The cops were reportedly ambushed, and Ian Leavers, president of the Queensland Police Union, claimed they were slain "in cold blood."
He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "They were met by gunfire which was just relentless. They were executed."
Local MP David Littleproud said the attack had left his community "numb". He said: "[These] are small country towns where this sort of thing just doesn't happen."
A coroner will investigate the deaths, and the response of the police will be examined by the ethical standards command of the force which will be as per the standard practice only.