At least two people were killed, another one injured while seven others went missing following an attack on a group of passengers in Bor County of Jonglei state on Sunday, a government official said.
The Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) information minister, Abraham Kelang, told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that the victims- all from Pibor- were en route to Juba when they were attacked on the outskirts of Bor town in Jonglei State on Sunday morning.
“This morning (Sunday), our civilians were attacked in Mereng Boma of Anyidi Payam of Bor county, Jonglei state. Two were killed, one injured and seven others went missing,” Kelang said. “Those people left Pibor for Juba using commercial vehicles. On reaching Mereng, they disembarked and went to a tea kiosk where the incident occurred.”
He accused suspected armed youth from Bor County of involvement in the attack.
“We believe the attackers are from Bor County because they emerged from the bush, opening fire on our people and then disappeared into the bushes again. Seven of our youth are still missing, while the injured person is at a military base there. The motive of the attack could be revenge,” he said.
For their part, Mahmoud Chuol Peter, the Jonglei State information ministry director-general, and Samuel Ateny Pech, the commissioner for Bor County, said they had no information about the alleged attack.
Revenge attacks are commonplace among the communities in Jonglei State and GPAA and are often accompanied by abductions of children and women.