A clean-up operation was under way at Van Reenen's Pass in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday after six trucks were set alight in the early hours of the morning. A group of armed men stopped the trucks on the N3, forced drivers out of their vehicles and set the trucks on fire before fleeing.

The N3 Toll Route at Van Reenen's Pass has been reopened to traffic after six trucks were torched by a group of gunmen in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The southbound lanes on Van Reenen's Pass opened on Sunday, accommodating both directions of traffic using contraflow, said Thania Dhoogra, N3 Toll Concession spokesperson.

The northbound carriageway towards Johannesburg will, however, remain closed until repairs are completed. Motorists have been urged to avoid the area, where there are heavy traffic delays.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said that a gang of armed men forced six truck drivers to halt on Van Reenen's Pass.

"They then set all six trucks alight, causing the roadway to be closed to traffic," he said.

No injuries were reported and the motive for the attack is unknown. Naicker was unable to confirm reports that shots were fired on the scene.

Naicker said detectives were investigating a case of malicious damage to property and that a large police deployment including the Public Order Policing Unit was monitoring the situation.

Well-coordinated attack

In a statement issued by the Road Freight Association, the association's CEO, Gavin Kelly, described the events as a well-coordinated attack on the road...