Manhunt launched after 13 men and four women killed in South Africa: Eight gunmen armed with 'AK-47 rifles and pistols' open fire at bar

Seventeen people have been shot dead after eight gunmen armed with 'AK-47 rifles and pistols' opened fire at a bar just west of Johannesburg. Fifteen more were wounded after rounds of bullets were fired outside and inside the bar in Wedela, a semi-rural township, at around 7.30pm on Saturday.The victims included 13 men and four women. It comes just days after 11 people – including a pregnant woman – were killed after gunmen stormed a home in the city of Durban on September 22. And it came just hours before a separate shooting at an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town during the early hours of Sunday. During that incident, gunmen killed ten people and wounded 11 more.In video clips shared on social media, revellers can be seen dancing and drinking before a burst of gunfire rings out, sending people scrambling for cover.Five of the victims were declared dead at the scene while the others succumbed to their injuries while being taken to hospital. Forensic officers and army troops at scene of the mass shooting at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg The gunmen torched two vehicles before fleeing the scene. Pictured: Plain clothes police officers inspect burnt cars found at the sceneIn Wedela, gunmen first opened fire on customers drinking outside the bar before moving inside to continue shooting, police said. 'They allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing the scene in two unidentified motor vehicles,' they said. The gunmen torched two vehicles before fleeing the scene. The township is the focus of a government crackdown on illegal mining, with soldiers and police deployed to tackle criminal networks operating in abandoned mine shafts. 'The criminals think it's a fashion. They want to make it something which we need to get used to, but that cannot be allowed and tolerated,' deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said at the scene.'We managed to get clear pictures of the suspects and we will get them,' he said, adding that the attack appeared to have been retaliation for an incident last month.He said one of the victims was being sought by police in connection with that incident, in which one person was killed and another wounded. Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said people from Lesotho and Ethiopia were in the bar at the time, as well as South Africans. Residents are pictured at scene of the mass shooting shooting on Sunday morning, where a police cordon has been set up A resident looks on as a South African Police Service (SAPS) officers ties police tape around the sceneHe said the motive behind the mass shooting was believed to be robbery, as personal belongings, including phones, had been taken. However, police would not rule out the possibility that the mass shooting was linked to a turf war between illegal mining groups. Police have mobilised a team of detectives and other specialised units to trace and apprehend the men involved. No arrests had been made in either case on Sunday morning. Meanwhile in Durban, the mass shooting that saw the death of a pregnant woman is said to have left the community 'in profound shock and grief'. 'The victims, including a pregnant woman, were gathered at a house shortly before 11:00 pm (9pm UK time on Tuesday) when armed assailants reportedly entered the premises and opened fire,' Thamsanqa Ntuli, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, of which Durban is the main city, said. Local television station eNCA reported that the attackers forced everyone into a room before shooting them and also set fire to a car belonging to one of the victims.'It's shocking and sad. These are guys I grew up with. I can't believe it. It's like a movie,' the broadcaster cited a local resident as saying.'I've been staying here all my life, and I've never seen anything like this,' he added.'There is no place in our communities for the senseless taking of human lives. Police must act decisively, mobilise all available resources and pursue those responsible until they are brought before the courts,' she said in a statement.South Africa is awash with legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are common, often fuelled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.The country of around 62 million people has one of the world's highest murder rates, with about 60 people killed each day.In March, soldiers moved into violence hotspots in Johannesburg to support police efforts to tackle rampant crime, described by President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the biggest threats facing the country