At least 27 people have been killed in two separate mass shootings in South Africa within hours, with 26 others injured as police investigate the attacks.
The first shooting occurred on Saturday evening near Johannesburg, where eight gunmen reportedly stormed a bar and opened fire on customers.
Seventeen people, including 13 men and four women, were killed, while 15 others sustained injuries.
The attackers reportedly opened fire on people outside the bar before moving inside. They also allegedly set two vehicles ablaze before fleeing the scene.
Police had not announced any arrests as of Sunday morning.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana said investigators were exploring a possible connection to an earlier incident in which one person was killed and another wounded.
Kekana said police had obtained clear images of some of the suspects and, in some cases, had identified them.
A second shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town.
Ten people were killed, with five dying at the scene and five others later succumbing to their injuries in hospital. Eleven people were wounded in the attack.
No arrests had been announced in connection with either shooting, while police had yet to establish a motive.
The latest attacks occurred just days after 11 people were killed when gunmen reportedly stormed a house in KwaMakhutha township in Durban.
South Africa has long struggled with violent crime and gun-related killings, with illegal firearms and gang activity frequently linked to deadly attacks.
Recent mass shootings have heightened concerns over organised violence, including conflicts involving gangs engaged in drug trafficking and illegal mining.
President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier described organised crime as a major threat to the country’s democracy, society and economic development.
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The government has also deployed military personnel alongside police in areas with high murder rates as part of efforts to tackle armed violence.
Meanwhile, police in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, were investigating the discovery of the body of a tenth woman.
Authorities said they had not ruled out the possibility that a serial killer could be operating in the area, citing similarities between some of the deaths.
Police investigations into the latest shootings are continuing as authorities work to establish the identities of the attackers, their motives and possible links between the incidents.
