BERLIN 

Two police officers were shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop in southwestern Germany, authorities said on Monday.

The shooting occurred when the officers stopped a vehicle in the small town of Kusel in the early hours of Monday morning, local police said in a statement.

Those killed in the shooting were a 24-year-old policewoman and a 29-year-old policeman.

An intense manhunt is underway for the suspects, who fled to an unknown location after the shooting, police said.