SIX men were shot dead and three other people, including a nine-year-old boy and a woman, injured when 12 armed men attacked eight houses at Besters in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday morning, police said. Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo said the men attacked the houses at 6am. The motive of the attack was immediately unknown but police were investigating the possibility that it might be gang-related. He said police were also investigating the possibility that the attack was retaliatory. The men were said to be avenging the attack on a suspected criminal by the community. However, Naidoo said police were still trying to establish the validity of the allegation. The African National Congress in the province, reacting to the attack, said it was deeply saddened by the incident. It said the attack was in retaliation after ”a member of a notorious gang was allegedly killed by members of the community”. ”The killing then allegedly prompted the gang members to target members of the community structures, most of them belonging to the Community Policing Forum.” Naidoo could not confirm whether some of the victims were forum members. – Sapa