Constable Rawle Thomas was critically wounded in the incident, which took place in the vicinity of the Wismar Police Station. Thomas had to be flown to the City by the Guyana Defence Force helicopter for urgent medical attention at the Georgetown Hospital.

Hospital sources described the condition of the thirty-one-year-old father of three, as critical but stable.

Doctors were forced to perform a second operation shortly after Thomas arrived in the city from the Mackenzie Hospital, because he was still bleeding profusely after surgery in Linden.

Meanwhile, the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and soldiers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were yesterday continuing their manhunt in a bid to apprehend Thomas’ attackers.

Following the attack on the patrol, Police and Army personnel set up a roadblock in the vicinity of Moblissa/Seweyo. On spotting the roadblock, the gunmen abandoned motorcar PHH 1483 and escaped into the bushes.

According to an Army source, GDF ranks would have been maintaining their vehicle check on the highway last night.

Two of Thomas’ colleagues, Constables Leslie Henry and Trevor Cumberbatch, who were with him at the time and who subsequently pursued the car after he was hit, had been receiving precautionary medical treatment at the Mackenzie Hospital.

Reports out of Linden seem to indicate that four persons including a woman were in the blue-green coloured car from which gunshot emanated wounding Thomas.

Taxi driver Clive Bellamy’s car was badly shot up as he was passing at the time and got caught in the fray.

When the ‘Chronicle’ passed by the Wismar Police Station yesterday, the car was no longer in the compound, and operations there appeared to have been back to normal.

It is believed though, that the bandits may have returned to the mining town.

Questions are being asked in the mining town why a patrol of soldiers, who were in the Linden area were not contacted immediately after the incident.

Meanwhile, a heavy Police presence is now in place in the mining Town.