A deadly exchange of gunfire during which three suspected poachers were killed occurred over the weekend in the Etosha National Park. According to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo the fatal exchange of gunfire followed a routine patrol by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit. "The confrontation began on Friday evening when anti-poaching officers, during their routine patrols along the park’s perimeter, discovered suspicious shoeprints indicating an illegal entry through the fence. The member of the unit immediately initiated a search operation," he said. Shikongo said the incident occurred as law enforcement officials intensified their efforts to combat the scourge of wildlife poaching in the country. Dividing into two teams on Saturday, the officers tracked the poachers' movements deeper into the park. "Upon realising they were being pursued, the suspects opened fire on the patrol officers, prompting a gun battle," he said. According to Shikongo, the intense exchange of fire resulted in the deaths of all three poachers. "None of the officers sustained injuries during the gunfight," he added. Shikongo said a subsequent investigation at the scene revealed that the poachers were equipped with three rifles, one of which was fitted with a silencer. The suspects also wore anti-tracking fibres on their feet in a calculated effort to obscure their movements and hide their footprints.