Canadian police kill two gunmen in a shootout at a bank

Canadian police killed two gunmen during a shootout Tuesday at a bank in British Columbia that also wounded six officers, and nearby homes were evacuated after a possible explosive device was discovered, police said.

Law enforcement said members of the rapid response team arrived at the site at the Bank of Montreal in Saanich, Vancouver Island, near the border with the US state of Washington, at about 11 a.m. (1800 GMT).

"The incident is still going on with a heavy police presence in the area," Saanich Police, British Columbia, said in a statement on its website.

"Homes and businesses close to the scene were evacuated due to the possible presence of an explosive device in a car linked to the suspects," it added.

Sanich Police Chief Dean Dothy told a news conference that the two men were "heavily armed" and that initial reports indicated they were wearing body armor, adding that he had no further information about them.

Six officers were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

"We are currently expecting some officers to be discharged after receiving treatment in the emergency departments, while other officers received very serious injuries and were transferred to the surgery department," he added.

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