South Africa: Two killed during looting of foreigners' shops

Johannesburg, Jan 26 (IANS/EFE) Two more people have died in a new wave of looting foreign-owned shops in the townships area of the South African city of Johannesburg, the police reported on Twitter Monday.

Looting shops owned by immigrants from African and Asian countries in Soweto and other townships last week caused the deaths of four people while 170 others were arrested.

The wave of violence erupted last week after a Somali shopkeeper killed a South African teenager who tried to rob his store.

The two new victims were shot dead Sunday night while trying to steal from a shop owned by a Somali in the southern district of Langlaagte, according to initial reports.

Despite these incidents, the situation in Soweto and other townships has calmed down this weekend, after five days of tension and heavy police deployments.

The worst violence against foreigners occurred in 2008, when more than 50 people, mostly immigrants, were killed.

--IANS/EFE

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