Two policemen were fatally wounded after a shooting by intruders in the region of Kusel (Rhineland-Palatinate) in the southwest of Germany, police in the city of Kaiserslautern reported.

The circumstances of what happened are being investigated. 

"Two police officers, a man and a woman, were shot and killed this morning while patrolling traffic between Mayweilerhof and Ulmet in the Kusel district," the report said.

At the same time it is pointed out that nothing is known about the perpetrators. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated.

The incident happened at around 4:20 a.m. The road was entirely closed afterward, DPA reports.

The search for the criminals is currently underway. According to the agency, one of them is armed.