6 shot dead in S. Africa's Cape Town

Unidentified gunmen opened fire randomly at a dwelling in Cape Town early Sunday, killing six people and injuring seven others in the dwelling, police said.

The shooting took place in Khayelitsha, an impoverished township in Cape Town, police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said.

Those injured included a six-year-old girl, he said.

A manhunt has been launched to arrest the gunmen who had escaped from the scene, said Potelwa.

No arrests have been made yet, he said.

"Provincial detectives are hard at work probing cases of murder and attempted murder," Potelwa said.

He urged anyone with information that could assist in expediting the investigation to contact the Crime Stop, an anti-crime hotline.

The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation, Potelwa said.

The shooting, however, was believed to be gang-related.

Khayelitsha, one of the largest informal settlements in Cape Town, has been haunted by gang violence.

Since July last year, troops from the South African National Defence Force have been deployed in parts of Cape Town, including Khayelitsha, to help quell rising gang violence which claims dozens of lives every week.