Bukit Aman criminal investigation department deputy director Fadil Marsus said the men, between 35 and 40 years of age, had been hiding in a forested area after attempting to rob a house at Desa Vista in Sepang early this morning.

“The suspects were detected when a security alarm in one of the targeted homes went off, alerting the homeowner.

“Upon checking, the homeowner saw masked individuals armed with parangs outside the house,” Utusan quoted him as saying.

Fadil said that when tracked down, the men attempted to attack the police with parangs.

“Police were forced to open fire in self-defence. All three suspects were pronounced dead at the scene,” he said.

The bodies of the three men have been sent to Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Fadil said the men were violent and dangerous, as they had slashed a victim trying to resist them during a robbery in Sungai Buloh.

He said authorities believe the gang consists of five people, and are tracking down the remaining members.

He said preliminary investigations suggest that the gang is responsible for a series of robberies and burglaries with approximately RM1 million in estimated losses.