Police officers have clashed with gunmen involved in an attempted carjacking on Wednesday in the capital Juba.
Multiple sources told Radio Tamazuj that the gunmen hijacked a religious leader in Juba together with his vehicle and dumped him later along the Juba-Kajo-Kaje road.
They further said three armed robbers broke into Pastor Bashir Ismail’s house, who is also an Executive Director of a faith-based organization, Charity Hope Vision in Hai Rock city residential area, west of Juba at 7:30 am on Wednesday, forcing him at gunpoint to give them the keys of his Land Cruiser vehicle.
The eyewitnesses explained that the robbers then tied the pastor’s hands and legs and threw him in the car before they could escape. They pointed out that the pastor was later found dumped along the Juba-Kajo-Keji road by old men who untied him. “He had to walk for two hours to reach Juba,” an eyewitness said.
“But, the vehicle was later recovered and the pastor who had been dumped along Juba-Kajo-Keji road was rescued by good Samaritans,” he added.
Another source said security forces pursued the robbers and exchanged fire along Bilpham road in Juba, damaging two mirrors and three tyres forcing the criminals to escape on foot leaving the vehicle behind.
The source noted that the security forces are still pursuing the criminals whose identity cards remained inside the car.