A South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldier was killed in a gunfire exchange with an unidentified group in Panyijiar County of South Sudan’s Unity State on Saturday, a local official said.
Panyijar County Commissioner Gabriel Majok Bol told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that a group of armed youths killed a member of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Saturday.
It is believed that these youth have been involved in criminal activities in the Panyijar area, where they kill people and seize their property, much like what they did to the SSPDF member, whom they killed and took his gun, along with other belongings. The group responsible for killing the SSPDF soldier on Saturday has not been identified.
“The armed youth, involved in criminal activities, had gathered in southern Panyijiar within Panyijiar. There was an exchange of gunfire when they met on the road to Lake State, resulting in the SSPDF’s immediate confirmation of death. No one was arrested among the criminals,“ Commissioner Majok said.
“We have begun deploying security forces to apprehend those who have instilled fear in our community, following the incident on Saturday,” he added.
As of now, Majok said, no arrests have been made since Saturday, but the county police are actively searching for the group responsible for the killing of the SSPDF this week. “We are making strenuous efforts to apprehend those who committed these crimes,” the official added.
Since 2022, the Panyijiar County has been contending with an ongoing series of security challenges. These incidents often involve armed youth engaged in criminal activities within Panyijiar County.