At least two people were shot and killed and twelve others injured when a shootout ensued during a ritual ceremony in Rubkona county of Unity State on Tuesday.
The Rubkona County commissioner, Gatluak Whicar, told Radio Tamazuj that mayhem erupted when someone wanted to kill a man in the crowd in revenge for an earlier killing. He said an old man and a girl were killed and twelve other people injured in the ensuing sporadic shooting in Ariear village.
"The cause was that someone emerged from the crowd and wanted to kill a suspect. He shot at the suspect but missed him,” Commissioner Whicar explained. “This is when everyone at that event of making traditional sacrifices started to shoot at random, killing an old man identified as Tap Nyuot and a young girl who is a daughter of a man identified as Kong.”
He said he dispatched security forces and the situation in that area is now under control.
The director of the police CID in Unity State, Col. Chiok Ruai, also confirmed the killings but said he did not have firm details.
"I have no exact details of the people wounded but I can confirm that 2 people were killed. The clashes occurred in a far village of Rubkona County where there is no communication network and an inaccessible area because of floods," Col. Ruai said.