President Obama condemned the 'cowardly and reprehensible' attack on police officers in Baton Rouge - and promised: 'Justice will be done.'

Three officers were confirmed dead and a further three were injured after a shooting at a gas station along Airline Highway in the Louisiana city on Sunday morning.

One suspect, Gavin Eugene Long, 29, was shot dead while two other 'persons of interest' were questioned but later released without charge.

In a statement, Obama blasted the assault on officers 'who put their lives on the line for ours every day' and branded the perpetrators 'cowards who speak for no one.'

And in an address to the nation shortly after 5pm, President Obama reiterated his pledge that justice would be done, adding: 'Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.'

Urging Americans to unite in the wake of the latest tragedy, he added: 'We need to temper our words and open our hearts.'

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President Obama (pictured on Friday) condemned the 'cowardly and reprehensible' attack on police officers in Baton Rouge - and promised: 'Justice will be done'

Obama said the motive for Sunday's attack, the second targeting police in less than two weeks, was unknown, but there is no justification for violence against law enforcement.

In his earlier statement, he said: 'These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes.'

He added: 'I condemn, in the strongest sense of the word, the attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge,' he said.

'For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault.

'These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilized society, and they have to stop.'

Obama added that he has offered his full support, as well as the full support of the federal government, to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor Kip Holden, the Sheriff's Office, and the Baton Rouge Police Department.

'And make no mistake – justice will be done,' he added.

'MAKE NO MISTAKE - JUSTICE WILL BE DONE': OBAMA'S FULL STATEMENT I condemn, in the strongest sense of the word, the attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge. For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault. These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilized society, and they have to stop. I've offered my full support, and the full support of the federal government, to Governor Edwards, Mayor Holden, the Sheriff's Office, and the Baton Rouge Police Department. And make no mistake – justice will be done. We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes. The officers in Baton Rouge; the officers in Dallas – they were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now – all of us – to be at our best. Today, on the Lord's day, all of us stand united in prayer with the people of Baton Rouge, with the police officers who've been wounded, and with the grieving families of the fallen. May God bless them all. Advertisement

Attorney General Loretta Lynch pledged the full support of the Justice Department as the investigation unfolds.

She said agents from the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are on the scene.

The Justice Department will make available victim services and federal funding support, and provide investigative assistance to the fullest extent possible, she said.

Lynch added that there is no place in the United States for such appalling violence.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Lynch said she condemns the shooting 'in the strongest possible terms.'

She added that everyone's hearts and prayers are with the fallen and wounded officers, their families and the entire Baton Rouge community in 'this extraordinarily difficult time.'

Obama spent most of the last week focused on defusing tensions and rebuilding trust between police departments and the communities they serve.

Now, a second attack has further placed a nation on edge as Americans anxiously watch the spate of violence at home and abroad with Thursday's attack in Nice, France, contributing to a picture of a troubled world.

'The officers in Baton Rouge, the officers in Dallas, they were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now — all of us — to be at our best,' Obama said.

Three officers were confirmed dead and a further three were injured after a shooting at a gas station along Airline Highway in the Louisiana city on Sunday morning

'WE MUST TEMPER OUR WORDS AND OPEN OUR HEARTS': OBAMA'S SPEECH As all of you know now, this morning, three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge were killed in the line of duty. Three others were wounded, one is still in critical condition. As of right now, we don’t know the motive of the killer. We don’t know whether the killer set out to target officers or whether he gunned them down as they responded to a call. Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible. Earlier this afternoon, I spoke with Governor Edwards and Mayor Holden and I offered them the full support of the federal government and reiterated my full support for law enforcement in Baton Rouge and for police officers across the country. I also spoke to the Attorney General. The FBI has been already on the scene and through the work of all levels of government, justice will be done. Most of all, our hearts go out to the families who are grieving. Our prayers go out to the officer who’s still are fighting for his life. This has happened far too often and I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement this past week. I’m surrounded by the best of the best every single day and I know whenever this happens, wherever this happens you feel it. Your families feel it, but what I want you to know is respect and gratitude of the American people for everything that you do for us. Five days ago, I traveled to Dallas for the memorial service of the officers who were slain there. I said that that killer would not be the last person who tries to make us turn on each other, nor will today’s killer. It remains up to us to make sure that they fail. That decision is all of ours, the decision to make sure our best selves are reflected across Americans, not our worst, that’s up to us. We have our divisions and they are not new. Round-the-clock news cycles and social media sometimes amplify these divisions. And I know we’re about to enter a couple weeks of conventions where our political rhetoric tends to be more overheated than usual and that is why it is so important that everyone, regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organization you are part of - everyone right now, focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further. We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric. We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda. We need to temper our words and open our hearts, all of us. We need what we saw in Dallas this week as a community that came together to restore order and deep in unity and understanding. We need the kind of efforts we saw this week in meetings with community leaders, some of which I participated in, where I saw people of goodwill pledge to work together to reduce violence throughout all of our communities. That’s what’s needed right now and it is up to all of us to make sure we are part of the solution and not part of the problem. Someone once wrote that a bullet need only happen once, but for peace to work we need to be reminded of its existence again and again and again. My fellow Americans, only we can prove, through words and through deeds, that we will not be divided and we’re gonna have to keep on doing it – again and again and again. That’s how this country gets united, that’s how we bring people of goodwill together. Only we can prove that we have the grace and the character and the common humanity to end this kind of senseless violence. To reduce fear and mistrust within the American family, to set an example to our children. That’s who we are and that’s who we always have the capacity to be and that’s the best way for us to honor the sacrifice of the brave police officers who were taken from us. May God bless them and their families and may God bless the United States of America. Advertisement

The president's statement came as Donald Trump quickly jumped on the opportunity to blame Obama for the ambush - while simultaneously paying tribute to three police officers in Baton Rouge

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, took to Facebook to pay tribute to the fallen officers, but couldn't resist taking a swipe at Obama, despite details of the attack still being unclear.

'We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today,' the billionaire businessman said, adding: 'How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country? We demand law and order.'

On Twitter, the 70-year-old added: 'We are TRYING to fight ISIS, and now our own people are killing our police.

'Our country is divided and out of control. The world is watching.'

Trump was also quick to blast Obama in the wake of the terror attack on Nice, France, on Thursday evening.

He also reiterated his call for the United States to tighten its borders and brought up his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country as a solution in interviews hours after the attacks.

In his address to the nation, Obama made no mention of Trump, but hinted at his remarks when he said: 'We don't need inflammatory rhetoric. We don't need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda.'

He did reference the political conventions set to take place soon, where the Republican and Democratic nominees for president will be officially decided.

Obama said: 'I know we’re about to enter a couple weeks of conventions where our political rhetoric tends to be more overheated than usual and that is why it is so important that everyone, regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organization you are part of - everyone right now, focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further.'

He added: 'We need to temper our words and open our hearts, all of us. We need what we saw in Dallas this week as a community that came together to restore order and deep in unity and understanding.

'We need the kind of efforts we saw this week in meetings with community leaders, some of which I participated in, where I saw people of goodwill pledge to work together to reduce violence throughout all of our communities.

'That’s what’s needed right now and it is up to all of us to make sure we are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

'Someone once wrote that a bullet need only happen once, but for peace to work we need to be reminded of its existence again and again and again.

'My fellow Americans, only we can prove, through words and through deeds, that we will not be divided and we’re gonna have to keep on doing it – again and again and again.'

The Baton Rouge attack, which happened just before 9am, less than a mile from police headquarters, comes amid spiraling tensions across the country between the black community and police.

Donald Trump jumped on the opportunity to blast President Barack Obama once again while paying tribute to three police officers in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge has seen constant protests since the shooting of a black man outside a convenience store on July 5.

Alton Sterling, 37, was killed in a scuffle with two white police officers – sparking Black Lives Matter protests across the country.

His killing was captured in a cellphone video and circulated widely online.

The shooting of Philando Castile, 32, by a Minnesota police officer in Falcon Heights during a traffic stop a day later, exacerbated tensions further.

The aftermath of the shooting was streamed live on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend.

On July 7, a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas turned deadly when a sniper opened fire and killed five police officers, heightening tensions even further.

Micah Johnson told authorities he wanted to kill whites – especially 'white police officers' - before he was killed with a remote-controlled robot by police.

The massacre left law enforcement across the country on alert, with heads of police departments across the country ordering police officers to patrol in pairs.

And in the wake of a second ambush on Sunday, people turned to Twitter to condemn the violence once again.

Reverend Al Sharpton added: 'Praying for the families of the police officers shot in Baton Rouge as we await the full details This senseless violence really must stop.'

'Our thoughts and prayers are with Baton Rouge Police,' Dallas police chief David Brown, whose department is still mourning five dead police officers who were targeted in an ambush during a protest 10 days ago, tweeted on Sunday afternoon.

On Twitter, Trump added: 'We are TRYING to fight ISIS, and now our own people are killing our police'

Three officers were confirmed dead and a further three were injured after a shooting at a gas station (pictured, Baton Rouge Police running outside Our Lady Of The Lake Medical Center Sunday)

Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards called the attack 'unspeakable and unjustified.'

'This is an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing,' he said in a statement.

'Rest assured, every resource available to the State of Louisiana will be used to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.

'For now, I'm asking all Louisianans to join Donna and me in praying for the officers who were involved and their families as the details continue to unfold.'

On Monday, Obama spoke at the memorial service for the five slain Dallas officers killed and told Americans not to despair, that the nation is not as divided as it might seem.

The next day, he held an extraordinary four-hour meeting at the White House's executive offices with police officers, community activists and elected leaders.

He emerged from the session saying 'we're not even close' to the point where minority communities could feel confident that police departments were serving them with respect and equality or where police departments could feel adequately supported at all levels.

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