Multiple attackers kill 12 people, wound 9 in late-night shooting in South Africa

At least 12 people were killed and nine others injured after a group of armed men opened fire in an informal settlement in Johannesburg late on Tuesday, in one of South Africa's latest mass shootings.

Police said the attackers arrived in a white minibus at an informal settlement in Cleveland, a suburb east of Johannesburg, before fanning out through the area and shooting residents at multiple locations. The gunmen then fled in the same vehicle. According to investigators, at least 10 suspects were involved in the attack.

The victims included nine men and three women. Eleven people were declared dead at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries in hospital. At least nine others were wounded.

Police have launched a manhunt but said no arrests had been made as of Wednesday, 10 June.

Gauteng provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni described the killings as "insane, heartless and, to a certain extent, barbaric", while cautioning against drawing premature conclusions about the motive.

Authorities are examining whether the attack could be linked to illegal mining networks that operate in and around Johannesburg, although investigators say it is too early to establish a definitive connection. "We are looking at all possible motives," Mthombeni said, noting that a recent police operation in the area had resulted in the seizure of several illegal firearms, including assault rifles. He added that illegal miners were known to be active in the vicinity.

The shooting unfolded in an informal settlement, one of the densely populated and often impoverished communities found on the outskirts of many South African cities. Such settlements frequently consist of makeshift housing and have, in some areas, become bases for illegal mining operations.

Scenes of grief and shock greeted emergency workers on Wednesday morning as ambulances removed bodies from the settlement while residents gathered in small groups, struggling to come to terms with the violence.

South Africa has witnessed a number of high-profile mass shootings in recent years, many of them linked to organised crime and gang rivalries. In December alone, two separate mass shootings claimed more than 20 lives.

Johannesburg's long association with gold mining has fuelled a parallel underground economy centred on abandoned mines. Criminal syndicates often send illegal miners into disused shafts to recover remaining gold deposits, while rival gangs battle for control of lucrative territories and smuggling routes.

Local councillor Neuren Pietersen said Cleveland had long been affected by illegal mining activity, but cautioned against assuming that was the sole cause of the attack.

"There are a lot of moving parts here, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what is driving the issues," he told local broadcaster eNCA, citing land disputes and broader community tensions as additional factors.

Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane said specialist forensic teams and tactical response units had been deployed to assist the investigation. Tracing the white minibus used in the attack was a key priority, she said.

The killings underscore South Africa's persistent struggle with violent crime. Official statistics show the country recorded more than 23,000 murders in the last financial year, an average of over 60 killings a day.

Growing concern over violence linked to illegal mining prompted the South African government in March to deploy the army to several high-risk areas as part of a year-long operation targeting organised crime networks, a move widely seen as an acknowledgement of the scale of the challenge facing law enforcement agencies.

With AP/PTI inputs