A six-year-old girl was shot in the head this morning in Valhalla Park, a residential suburb on the Cape Flats in Cape Town.

The Witness reports that local police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg says officers responded to a shooting complaint at about 09:20 on Eleanor Street.

Upon arrival on the scene, they found a six-year-old girl who sustained a gunshot wound to her head.

“According to reports, the child was caught in the crossfire when rival gangs started shooting. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested,” Twigg adds.

The child was transported to a medical facility for treatment. Twigg says Bishop Lavis detectives are investigating an attempted murder case.

“Police are following up on all leads in efforts to bring the perpetrators to book.”

Army deployment amid ongoing violence

The shooting comes amid the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to crime hotspots in the Western Cape.

Earlier this month, two people aged 25 and 33 were shot dead inside an informal dwelling in Turfburg Walk, Hanover Park. Philippi police have registered two counts of murder in connection with that incident.

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