JOHANNESBURG: At least 27 people have been killed in two separate mass shootings in South Africa within hours of each other, in the latest incidents of gun violence to hit the country.
In the first attack, 17 people were killed and 15 others injured when eight gunmen stormed a bar near Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
Police said the attackers opened fire on customers outside the bar before entering the premises and continuing the shooting. They also set two vehicles on fire before fleeing the scene.
According to police, the victims included 13 men and four women.
In a separate incident in the early hours of Sunday, 10 people were killed and 11 others injured outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town.
Police have not yet established a motive for either shooting.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates and has faced persistent challenges from gang-related gun violence.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana said the Johannesburg shooting may have been carried out in retaliation for an incident last month in which one person was killed and another wounded, according to AFP.
Speaking at the scene, Kekana said police had obtained clear images of some of the suspects and, in certain cases, had identified their names.:::