Five people were killed in an attack on a church in South Africa’s Johannesburg after armed men stormed the place and held men, women and children hostage, police said. The hostages have been freed, and the police arrested 40 people in connection.
The police also seized several firearms, including rifles, shotguns and handguns, after the attack on the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Four people were found shot and burnt to death in cars, and a security guard was also fatally shot, said Vishnu Naidoo, spokesperson for the police. The guard may have been shot while responding to the attack, he said.
The police said that the attack may have been “motivated by a feud” between church members, with eyewitnesses saying that the armed men were part of a splinter group.
Naidoo said that the armed attackers had indicated to the people inside the church that they were going to “take over the premises”.
According to reports, the church, which has over three million members in South Africa, has seen much infighting after its leader Glayton Modise died in February 2016. The church’s Zuurbekom headquarters has witnessed a lot of violence between faction in recent years. The South African Police Service (SAPS) had previously been called to the church following a shootout between members in 2018.
The police said that among those arrested were members of SAPS, the defence force, the Johannesburg Metro police and department of Correctional Services.
(With inputs from agencies)
