Four herdsmen were killed and 2 people were injured during an attack by armed men suspected to be from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County on Thursday, local officials said.
James Bol Makuey, the county commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the incident occurred at a grazing site on the outskirts of the administrative headquarters, Langkien town.
“Yesterday (Friday) at 3 pm, a grazing site called Pulbei in Hol Payam was attacked,” he said. “They killed four people and injured two others who were grazing cattle. From the side of the Murle attackers, 2 were killed.
Makuey said more than 1,000 head of cattle were also raided during the attack.
The director general of information in the Jonglei State information ministry, Mahmoud Chuol Peter, and the Nyirol youth leader, Biel Jiek Lual, also confirmed the attack and urged the GPAA authorities to investigate it.
“Initially, three people were killed and three wounded but one of the injured later passed on bringing the death toll to four,” Jiek, who also serves as the county information director said, adding, “The wounded are said to be in critical condition and they since been airlifted from Langkien MSF Hospital to Bentiu town for further medical management.”
The youth leader also pointed out that the youth who were pursuing the attackers returned Friday after failing to recover the stolen animals.
Cattle rustling is commonplace among the communities in Jonglei State and GPAA and is often accompanied by killings and abductions of children and women.