Bandits fire on police during highway robbery near Budapest

A policeman was injured when multiple shots were fired through his patrol car's windshield during a failed attempt to rob an armored car on the M1 motorway near Budapest early Friday.

The attempted robbery took place at kilometer stone 35, when two perpetrators fired shots at the armored car, forcing it to the side of the road. While they were able to force the driver and a guard traveling in the van out of the vehicle, they were unable to take anything from it.

Police arriving at the scene were opened fired on, with numerous shots hitting the car's front hood and windshield. One officer jumped out of the car and hid behind an adjacent road barrier, while the other ducked behind the dashboard. Neither had time to use their weapons.

Drivers of cars passing the scene alerted the police to the situation.

The driver of the armored car and guard were uninjured.

After the attack the perpetrators escaped the scene by car and opened fire on a police van transporting refugees towards Győr, thinking the vehicle had been called in as backup. One bullet hit the van but nobody was injured.

The Fejér County police have offered a Ft 2 million reward for information in the case, and the authorities said they are looking for two men in a dark Audi combi last seen driving in the direction of Budapest.

State news wire MTI learnt that the armored car belonged to security company Group 4.

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