A Zimbabwean soldier was allegedly disarmed and gunned down while another one is in serious condition at a hospital after they were attacked Saturday by an unknown assailant in Chivhu, Mashonaland East province.
In a dispatch sent to state security agents, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) said the two soldiers were shot at Chicken Inn Police Base.
The deceased soldier was identified in the CID security dispatch as 30-year-old Lorance Mupanganyama of the 21 Reserve Force, Mount Darwin.
His colleague, who is said to have sustained life-threatening injuries, was identified as Peter Zvirevo of the same Reserve Force.
Mapanganyama allegedly exchanged harsh words with one of the assailants before the suspected gunman opened fire inside the police base.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was unreachable as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. The Zimbabwe National Army was also unreachable for comment.
Nyathi told the state-controlled Sunday Mail that the assailant disappeared with two AK47 rifles.
“We have an incident which occurred this afternoon (yesterday) at a police post close to the Chicken Inn food outlet in Chivhu, where two service officers were shot by an unknown assailant. A suspect, who is yet to be identified, entered the police post and requested to speak to a service member stationed at the post as part of the teams that are enforcing COVID-19 regulations.
“The suspect then took two service arms from the deceased and the injured servicemen before fleeing the scene. More information on the incident will be released in due course.”
The CID noted that the unknown male adult suspect was wearing a green COVID-19 face mask, a black bomber jacket, tattered blue jean trousers and black safety shoes.