A humanitarian mission staff was injured when a vehicle she was travelling in was shot at along the Torit – Magwi Road on Wednesday evening.
Annet Odi Alex, 38, of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), was rushed to Magwi County Hospital for medical attention
Their vehicle was ambushed near Kormush on its way to Magwi from Juba, through Imurok in Torit County.
Authorities in Magwi County said the Torit to Magwi road was safe despite the Wednesday incident.
Magwi County Chief Inspector of Police Lt Col Paul Lowi Iko told Radio Tamazuj that the suspect was still at large
Iko said the incident happened at around 4pm but the information reached him much later. He confirmed the shooting of the female staff and that she was rushed to hospital with the bullet still lodged in her thigh.
The police boss further said that the patient was in a stable condition as no bone was shattered, adding that the road was safe for travel.
Eastern Equatoria State Police Spokesperson Maj Justin Kleopus Takuru also confirmed the incident, adding that the hunt was on for the perpetrator of the crime.
“The suspect remains at large and no one has been arrested so far. We have opened the case against the suspect in Magwi and investigations were ongoing,” he said.
The Executive Director for the Road to Election Development Organization (REDO), Robert Gima, expressed dismay over the attack, saying the incident would increase the suffering of the vulnerable populations.
Efforts to reach the victim’s organization for comment were unsuccessful.
South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places for aid workers, with more than 20 attacks on humanitarian workers recorded so far this year, according to UN reports.