Two men have been arrested and a search is under way for a possible third suspect after an armed raid at a post office in Co Kerry.
The Beaufort area outside Killarney is under lockdown as dozens of gardaí supported by members of the Garda Armed Response Units from Limerick and Cork, and the Garda Dog Unit, comb the area.
Two men were arrested after they were found hiding in a farm yard in the area.
So far no cash or gun has been recovered and the two men are being held at Tralee and Killarney Garda Stations.
The post office in An Coireán was robbed just after 11am.
The raiders initially made their escape in a Ford Ka, which was abandoned nearby in the village and set on fire.
They then made their escape in a blue Mazda car inland from An Coireán towards Beaufort where they encountered an unmarked garda car coming from the Killarney direction.
The car was repeatedly rammed after the raiders threatened the officers with a gun.
Three warning shots were discharged by the gardaí.
Shortly afterwards, the robbers' car was abandoned and set on fire before the men fled across open fields.
Two gardaí, a man and a woman, were taken by ambulance to Kerry General Hospital. Their injuries are not life threatening.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has been informed of the incident, as is normal practice in incidents which may have resulted in death or serious harm.
Five separate crime scenes have been cordoned off and the Cork Garda Forensic Crime Scene Unit has also been dispatched to the area.
Gardaí said the Killarney Text Alert system proved invaluable alerting the local community.
They described local support in the wake of the robbery as outstanding in helping gardaí apprehend two of the raiders so quickly.
Gardaí have appealed to locals in the Beaufort area to remain vigilant and are appealing to witnesses to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064-667-1160.
