German state to hold minute's silence after police officers shot dead

The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate will honour two young police officers who were shot dead while on duty with a minute's silence, reported dpa, quoting local officials.

"There will be a state-wide minute of silence on Friday at 10 am [0900 GMT]," a police spokesperson said in the western city of Kaiserslautern.

In the nearby district of Kusel, the 24-year-old police cadet and her 29-year-old superintendent were killed in the early hours of Monday during a routine patrol on a country road.

Two men were taken into custody on Tuesday on suspicion of murder and poaching. The boot of their van had been full of dead animals when the two officers pulled them over.

An ecumenical memorial service for the two victims is to take place in Kusel's town church on Thursday at 7 pm.

"We as a church have noticed that there is a great need within the population to express mourning," said Dean Lars Stetzenbach.

The crime shocked Germany and was described by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser as "reminiscent of an execution."