Eleven Arrested Following Bekkersdal Tavern Mass Shooting Near Johannesburg
Eleven suspects have been arrested in connection with the Bekkersdal tavern mass shooting near Johannesburg, South Africa, with one gunman still at large.
The attack took place at around 01:00 local time on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of nine people at the tavern.
During the assault, two additional people and a taxi driver who had dropped off a passenger nearby were also killed.
Among those arrested, nine suspects are Lesotho nationals, one is Mozambican, and another is a South African mineworker.
Police discovered unlicensed firearms including an AK-47 in the possession of the suspects.
Preliminary investigations by police indicate that the motive behind the attack is linked to illegal mining turf wars.
South Africa faces a significant challenge with firearms, having about 3 million legally held guns and at least as many unlicensed weapons.
This incident comes two weeks after the Saulsville Hostel attack in Pretoria, which killed eleven people including a three-year-old child, highlighting ongoing violent issues in the region.
