• A male constable broke into a Kariega house on Thursday while his former girlfriend sat inside with another police officer.

• Witnesses heard gunshots before police found the man, his former girlfriend and another male officer bleeding from multiple bullet wounds.

Three police officers are dead after a late night shooting at a house in Kariega.

The shooting happened just after midnight on Thursday.

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A male police constable forced his way into a house on Rudman Street. His former girlfriend was inside the house with another male police officer. Both of them were also constables.

Witnesses told the police they heard gunshots coming from the house in the middle of the night.

When other police officers arrived at the house at 12.45am, they found all three officers bleeding from multiple bullet wounds.

Two of the officers died at the scene. They took the third officer to Cuyler Hospital. He died from his injuries a short time later.

Investigators searched the house and found a state police gun. They also picked up 10 live bullets at the scene. Detectives will test the weapon to find out exactly how the shooting happened.

The police have not named the three dead officers. They are waiting to tell their families first.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has stepped in to take over the case because the shooting involves police officers. The police service has also opened its own internal investigation.

Eastern Cape police boss Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata sent his condolences to the families of the dead officers.

"This is a tragic and devastating loss for the SAPS family," Ncata said.

He said the police will give trauma counselling to all the officers affected by the deaths.