Two convenience-store employees were injured during a robbery Thursday evening in Winnipeg.

According to police, two male suspects entered the store, in the 800 block of Ellice Avenue, just after 7 p.m. They went behind the counter and assaulted the clerk then started filling a bag with cigarettes, police said.

A second employee who was alerted to the incident and went to the front of the store was hit with pepper spray and physically assaulted, police said.

The suspects then fled with a large quantity of cigarettes.

Both employees suffered minor injuries.

The suspects are described as follows:

• Male, wearing white-and-black baseball cap, grey jacket, black neck warmer or scarf covering a portion of his face, blue jeans, white shoes.
• Male, wearing black-and-grey bandana covering face and nose area, black-and-grey jacket with New York Yankees logo, black shirt under jacket, blue jeans, black shoes.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to contact investigators at 986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 786-TIPS (8477).