Thieves have become more brazen in attacking places of worship.

This, as the Gauteng police have launched a manhunt for seven unknown gunmen who broke into a Lenasia mosque and stole valuable items, including a television set and laptop. The suspects tied the mosque’s security guard up and locked him a guard room before breaking into the mosque.

Before leaving, the thieves ransacked the place of worship and wrote Islamophobic messages on the walls.

Last week, a group of 15 heavily armed robbers held worshippers in Mpumalanga at gunpoint while robbing them of their belongings during Friday prayer in Kabokweni.