Police confirm 5 deaths in hostage situation at South African church

July 11 (UPI) -- Police confirmed Saturday five deaths in a hostage situation at a church in South Africa.

The South African Police Service said in a statement posted to Facebook that they responded to an alert this morning of a hostage situation and shooting at International Pentecost Holiness Church in Zuurbekom.

Since then, they have confirmed five fatalities, but it was unclear whether they were assailants or hostages.

Police said they arrested about 30 suspects and seized more than 25 firearms.

Hostage negotiators, tactical response team, special task force, air support and South African National Defense Force members were on the ground, according to the statement.

International Pentecost Holiness Church leader Comforter Glayton Modise died on February 2016 without a will, throwing the church into a dispute since then over the next leader, with his sons Leonard and Tshepiso vying to take the reigns.

It's unclear why the hostage situation and shooting broke out or if it was related to the church dispute.