Shooter at Colorado clinic kills three

A shooting at a family planning clinic in Colorado Springs has left two civilians and a police officer dead, international media report.

Reports say that the suspected gunman is under arrest, but the motive remains unclear. According to the BBC, the Planned Parenthood group, whose clinics offer abortions among other services, has drawn anti-abortion protests in the past.

The suspect was reportedly identified as Robert Lewis Dear, from North Carolina, but no other details were given.

Nine people were also injured during the standoff at the Planned Parenthood clinic, which lasted five hours, with several people trapped inside the building, before the suspect  ultimately surrendered.

"I want to convey to the loved ones of the victims, this is a terrible, terrible tragedy that occurred here in Colorado Springs today," the BBC quotes Mayor John Suthers telling a news conference.

"Obviously, we lost two civilian victims. We mourn the loss of a very brave police officer."

The dead policeman was named as Garrett Swasey, 44, who was married with two children, and reports indicate that five police officers were among the injured, being treated in local hospitals.