Two suspected illegal miners were fatally wounded during a shoot-out with police in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg.

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday after police received reports of gunfire in an open field.

Roodepoort police officers responded with assistance from the West Rand K9 unit and BAS Security.

Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said officers approached the area to investigate.

The suspects allegedly opened fire on the law enforcement team, prompting officers to return fire.

Two suspected illegal miners were killed during the exchange.

Officers escape without injuries

No police officers or private security personnel were injured during the incident.

Police recovered three unlicensed firearms from the scene.

The weapons included an AK-47 rifle.

Officers also seized 126 rounds of ammunition of different calibres.

Police are investigating several offences linked to the shooting and the recovered weapons.

These include murder, attempted murder and possession of unlicensed firearms.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Hundreds of firearms recovered

Sibeko said Gauteng police have recovered 388 unlicensed firearms since the beginning of July.

Officers have also seized 6 650 rounds of ammunition during that period.

The firearms were recovered through crime-prevention operations, patrols, roadblocks and stop-and-search activities.

Operation Shanela and Operation Prosper have also contributed to the seizures.

The two operations form part of wider efforts to combat violent crime, illegal firearms and unlawful mining activity.

Police target illegal mining

Illegal mining remains a major concern in Gauteng, particularly in areas with abandoned or disused mining infrastructure.

The activity is often linked to violent clashes, armed groups and other organised crimes.

Police said they would continue intensifying operations aimed at dismantling illegal mining networks.

They also plan to remove more unlawful firearms from communities.

Investigators will now examine the recovered guns and ammunition to determine whether they can be connected to other crimes.

The identities of the two deceased suspects were not disclosed in the report.