An attack carried out by armed assailants on a group of locals moving on a road linking Poktap to Pajut towns in Duk county, Jonglei State, left at least three women dead and another one abducted on Wednesday night, a local official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday morning, Peter Latjor Chuol, the Duk County commissioner, said the attack occurred on the outskirts of Poktap town where the women went to collect food.
“On Wednesday at 11 p.m., an incident occurred between Poktap town in Duk Payuel Payam and Pajut town leaving 3 women dead and another one abducted,” Latjor said. “The victims were in the company of about 16 other people when they were attacked in the Apirdong area. The women were heading back to Pajut from Poktap where they had gone to collect dry fish.”
“They were waylaid and three women were killed but the rest of the people, mainly men, escaped unhurt,” he added.
According to the local official, armed men from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) were involved in the attack.
Responding to Commissioner Latjor’s accusation, the GPAA Information minister, said they are not aware of the incident.
“We are not aware of this incident in Duk,” he said. “Instead, on Thursday night, some armed men on a military pickup attacked our cattle traders in Mogeri town near Juba, injuring two of them. We do not know the motive of such attacks and who the attackers were.”