At least 27 people were killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in townships near Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African police said on Sunday.
The first attack took place at a bar in Wedela, a township southwest of Johannesburg, where eight armed men opened fire on Saturday night, according to the South African Police Service.
Seventeen people were killed in the attack, while at least 15 others sustained injuries, police said.
The assailants were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, according to authorities.
Hours later, another shooting was reported in Lwandle near Cape Town. Gunmen opened fire at a store at around 1am on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
Police said they were searching for several suspects in connection with the Lwandle attack but did not specify how many people were involved.
No arrests had been made in either shooting as of Sunday, police said.
The latest violence came just days after another mass shooting near Durban.
Three gunmen reportedly opened fire during a house party there, killing 11 people, including a pregnant woman.
South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime. However, the succession of mass shootings in recent days has heightened concern in a country already accustomed to some of the world’s highest rates of violent crime.
