South Africa police hunt suspects after 27 killed in mass shootings.

Two mass shootings in South African townships hours apart killed at least 27 people Saturday night into Sunday morning, police said.

• 17 people died at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg, around 9:30 p.m.
• 8 gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols shot patrons outside, then moved inside.
• 10 more were killed and 11 wounded in Lwandle township near Cape Town after 1 a.m.
• 15 people sustained gunshot injuries in the Wedela attack; gunmen fled in two vehicles.

Why it matters: The two shootings follow a third attack five days earlier. 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party near Durban. No arrests have been made in any of the three cases.

• South Africa recorded 5,427 homicides in the three months ending June 30 — nearly 60 per day.
• Between 2 million and 6 million illegal firearms are estimated to be in circulation, according to political parties and the national gun owners association.

How 27 sources split on this story

What’s next: Police have deployed specialized units to both townships and launched manhunts for suspects in both shootings.

• Soldiers were deployed Sunday to the Wedela bar shooting site.
• No motive has been established in either shooting.
• It is unclear whether the two attacks are connected or linked to criminal gangs.
• Whether President Ramaphosa's yearlong military street deployment has reduced township violence remains unresolved.