A huge manhunt is under way for a heavily armed male suspect after two Australian police officers were shot dead and one injured in an ambush at a property in a small rural town in Victoria state.
Police described the situation in Porepunkah in the Australian Alps - some 300km (186 miles) north-east of Melbourne - as an active incident with hundreds of personnel deployed to find the suspect.
Officers were attacked as 10 of them attended the property to serve an arrest warrant, which Australian media said was for historical sex offences.
Police say the suspect escaped into the bush alone and on foot after the shooting. Officers are still trying to locate the man's wife and children.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said 10 officers went to the property on Tuesday at about 10:30 local time (00:30 GMT). He described officers being fired upon by a heavily armed offender, saying two colleagues - a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable - were murdered in cold blood.
A third officer was seriously injured and airlifted to hospital.
The state police chief said all the available resources were being used in the manhunt for a dangerous suspect, and urged locals to stay indoors.
"[Our] priority is to arrest him and bring safety and security to this community," the officer said.
Mr Bush emphasized the gravity of the situation and did not confirm the nature of the raid being executed at the property.
The town, home to about 1,000 people, is now gripped by fear as the community grapples with the implications of this violent act.
Local mayor, Sarah Nicholas, expressed her condolences and called for unity in this time of grief.
This incident has drawn attention to the ongoing issues with some groups in Australia, specifically those identifying as sovereign citizens, leading to increased concerns about public safety.
