At least nine people were reported killed and three others wounded in two separate attacks on villages south of the contested area of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan on Thursday.

Alor Dou Al Beit, information official, told Radio Tamazuj that an armed group attacked Dier and Tomac villages, killing two men and wounding three others including a secondary school student called Mating Riing Matiok.

Alor identified the two victims as Deng Machar Minykuol and Marko Yak. He pointed out that the local youths also repulsed other attack, adding the locals killed about seven attackers and wounded several others. He revealed that the local youths seized two AK-47 rifles.

The Abyei official accused armed men from the Misseriya tribe, South Sudanese rebels and the Sudanese Armed Forces of involvement in the attack.