Two prisoners were hacked to death by a fellow prisoner who was later shot dead by a prison officer in Twic County of South Sudan's Warrap State on Monday night.
Three other prisoners at the Turalei Ayen Abil Prison were injured in the melee.
Major General John Machar Aweer, the Prison Director told Radio Tamazuj that the culprit attacked his fellow inmates using an axe at night but was gunned down before he could escape.
"People thought he wanted to visit his relative in the prison, he was not known as a prisoner. So he came at night carrying an axe and beat prisoners who were sleeping on the veranda inside Turalei Ayen Abil Prison. These are those with simple cases. He beat two persons dead and attempted to escape. Then our captain shot him dead and three other prisoners were wounded and taken to Mother Tereza hospital," he narrated.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Atem Aguek, the acting county commissioner said that the culprit was imprisoned for murder.
"This prisoner, the late, was imprisoned for murder. He killed a man last year at Panyok and was sentenced to five years and to pay blood compensation. While in prison, he was given free movement within a limited area the so-called "move alone" without police after him," he added.
He added that the security situation remained calm after the incident and that the bodies of the victims were given to their relatives for burial.