Idaho police under sniper attack as ambush on firefighters leaves two dead

Two people were fatally shot in a mountain community in Idaho, located in the north-western US, while responding to a brush fire, say officials.

Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Robert Norris said at least one suspect was firing at law enforcement with a high-powered rifle near the city of Coeur d'Alene.

"We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak," said Sheriff Norris, adding that officers reported bullets coming from various directions. Residents were asked to avoid the scene, which is on Canfield Mountain.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents would "provide tactical and operational support", Governor Brad Little said "multiple heroic firefighters" were attacked.

"This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," the governor posted on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more."

He added: "As this situation is still developing, please stay clear from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs."

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said on X he was "monitoring the horrific reports out of Coeur d'Alene".

Sheriff Norris said at a news conference on Sunday, "we don't know if there's one, two, three or four" shooters at the scene, about four miles (6.5km) north of central Coeur d'Alene.

"We don't know how many suspects are up there, and we don't know how many casualties there are," he said.

Authorities believed the two people killed were firemen.

"I'm hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralise, because they're not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting to surrender," the sheriff added.

"If these individuals are not neutralised quickly, this is going to be a likely a multi-day operation".

He told reporters there were civilians on Canfield Mountain, which is criss-crossed with hiking and biking trails, so it "would be safe to assume" others were still up there.

The call about the brush fire came in around 13:22 local time (20:22 GMT) on Sunday. At 14:00, firefighters reported shots fired.

A law enforcement source told the BBC's US partner CBS that the shooter was believed to be hidden among heavy brush and thick trees.

Helicopters with heat-seeking technology were flying over the area trying to pinpoint the assailant, but they experienced difficulty because of smoke from the wildfire, which was still burning.

Hikers on the mountain - asked to shelter in place - also were detected by the heat-seeking devices, leading to uncertainty if they were friend or foe.

A firefighters' union boss confirmed two of its members had been killed in the attack.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union, posted on X: "While responding to a fire earlier today in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, IAFF members were ambushed in a heinous act of violence.

"Two of our brothers were killed by a sniper, and a third brother remains in surgery.

"Please keep them, their families, and law enforcement in your prayers."

Local fire chief Pat Riley told TV station KHQ he was "heartbroken" by the attack.

Kootenai County Emergency Management Office sent an alert asking people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road.

Coeur d'Alene resident Linda Tiger, 80, told the BBC she was shocked by the shooting.

"This has never happened here," said Mrs Tiger, who has lived in the city for nearly 30 years. "But it goes to show that that no-one is safe from this kind of mental sadness."

She said she was staying indoors as "all Coeur d'Alene is supposed to shelter in place, but I see people walking around because they haven't heard the news".

The city of around 56,000 people is near the border with Washington state.