At least 27 people were killed in two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s largest cities over the weekend, according to the South African Police Service, with no arrests reported in either attack.

The first shooting occurred Saturday night at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg. Police said eight suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire inside the establishment, killing 17 people.

At least 15 additional people were wounded in the attack and transported for medical treatment, according to police.

Authorities said the suspects fled the scene and remained at large as investigators worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify those responsible.

A second attack occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday at a store in Lwandle, near Cape Town. Police said 10 people were killed and another 11 were wounded after multiple gunmen opened fire.

Investigators were searching for several suspects in the Cape Town-area shooting, although police did not provide an exact number of people believed to have carried out the attack.

The shootings came only days after another mass shooting near Durban, where three gunmen opened fire at a house party, killing 11 people. A pregnant woman was among those killed in that attack.

No arrests had been made in either of the two latest shootings as of Sunday, police said.

South Africa has faced persistently high levels of violent crime, including gun violence, for years. The series of deadly shootings in a single week has nevertheless drawn renewed attention to the country's ongoing struggle with organized and violent crime.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the attacks and search for the suspects responsible for the latest shootings.