Four people were killed and another one injured in a cattle raid carried out by an armed youth group in Nyirol County, Jonglei state on Saturday, authorities said.
James Bol Makuey, the county commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj that three attackers were among those killed and that about 1,000 raided cattle were recovered Sunday afternoon.
“The attack occurred while cows were being grazed in Thol Payam. One local herdsman was killed and three others injured. Our youth also managed to kill three attackers and recover all the 1,000 cows,” he said.
The county commissioner accused armed youth suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) of involvement in the raid.
The county police inspector, Brig. Gen. Marial Gatluak, said the recurring attacks have wreaked havoc among the locals.
“These criminals often in a group of about 20 youth or so are all over our bushes. They cause panic. People are not moving freely unless in a group. Yesterday, in Thol, they killed one herdsman and took his gun, and injured another one,” he said.
For his part, Jay Adingora, the GPAA information minister, said he was not aware of the attack.