CAPE TOWN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- South African police said on Tuesday that two Mozambican nationals were killed after violence erupted in a coastal town in the Western Cape Province during the weekend.
Unrest broke out on Friday in Mossel Bay, a port town on South Africa's southern coast about 380 km east of Cape Town, where dozens of shacks were set alight.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said the bodies of two men were found with assault-related injuries in KwaNonqaba, a township in Mossel Bay, in the early hours of Saturday.
"It was later determined that the two deceased men, aged 27 and 43, were of Mozambican descent. While investigations into the murders continue, no arrests have been effected yet," said the SAPS.
The statement came a day after Mozambique's government press office said five of its citizens had been killed in what it described as "xenophobic attacks" in South Africa, a claim South African police did not confirm.
"When marchers/protesters engage in violent acts, including incitement of violence, police will not hesitate to act decisively," the police said, calling on those who embark on protests to do so within the confines of the law.
"Police deployments remain on high alert in the area in efforts to restore calm and order. No further incidents have been reported in the area since Monday," it added. ■