Unknown gunmen killed 10 people and injured 10 others in an attack in a township outside Johannesburg, police said Sunday, December 21, in the second mass shooting in South Africa this month.

The motive for the attack in Bekkersdal, 40 kilometers southwest of the city, was unclear, according to Police told AFP.

Gunmen fired randomly

“Some victims were shot at random in the streets by unknown gunmen,” police said in a statement, as reported by DW.

“There are 10 people dead. We don’t have a breakdown of who they are,” Brigadier Brenda Muridili, a spokeswoman for the Gauteng provincial police, told AFP.

The shooting took place near a tavern or informal bar in Bekkersdal, an impoverished area close to some of South Africa’s major gold mines. The wounded were taken to the hospital, police said.

Officers are searching for about a dozen suspects, CNN reported.

“It was reported that about 12 unknown suspects in a white van and a silver sedan opened fire on patrons at the tavern and continued firing randomly as they fled the scene,” the South African Police Service said, appealing for witnesses to come forward with information.

Shooting earlier this month

On December 6, gunmen stormed a hostel near the capital, Pretoria, and killed a dozen people, including a three-year-old child, DW reported.

Police said the shooting took place at a venue that was illegally selling alcohol.

South Africa, with a population of 63 million, suffers from a high crime rate, including one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

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