11 killed, three injured in shooting in South Africa

Johannesburg: Eleven people were killed and three others injured in a shooting in KwaMakhutha in South Africa's southeastern KwaZulu-Natal Province, local police said on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province, the shooting occurred on Tuesday night in the township's Ziko area. Three men arrived and opened fire on 13 men and a woman believed to be pregnant when they were reportedly having a party inside a house.

Police said 10 people, including the woman, died at the scene, and the four others were taken to hospital, one of whom later succumbed to gunshot injuries, bringing the death toll to 11, Xinhua News Agency reported.

SAPS Acting National Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has ordered an immediate activation of a 72-hour tracking operation to seize the suspects.

"Police must act decisively, mobilise all available resources and pursue those responsible until they are brought before the courts," Dimpane said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that some of the victims were on the SAPS Crime Intelligence Division's radar over their connection with alleged illegal activities, police said, without disclosing further details.

The motive for the shooting has yet to be confirmed, they said.

In April, two people were killed in a shooting incident in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

Emergency services responded to the shooting on Crescent Street near East Street Park in the Overport area, where a man believed to be in his 30s was found with multiple gunshot wounds, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said a second victim later succumbed to his injuries upon arrival at hospital.

Multiple bullet casings were found on the roadway, and a passing motorist's vehicle was also damaged in the shooting, Jamieson added.

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