At least 15 people, including a county commissioner and a deputy army commander, were killed in an ambush on Tuesday within the Greater Pibor Administrative Area of South Sudan.
Information Minister Abraham Kelang of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area confirmed the attack to Anadolu Agency. He stated that a group of unidentified youths ambushed a convoy traveling from Takaro to Boma.
“The commissioner, Jeremiah Lothiboi, and Colonel Kaka Thombum, deputy commander of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, were returning from a village visit when they were attacked in Thort Payam,” Kelang explained. “Four others were injured in the ambush.”
Kelang condemned the killings and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He added that the state government has increased security measures along the route where the attack occurred, restoring a sense of calm to the area.
“Security forces arrived at the scene after the attackers fled,” Kelang said. “One attacker was shot down by the commissioner’s bodyguard. We have secured photographic evidence from the crime scene.”
Kelang concluded by stating that the government will deploy armed forces to the area to monitor the activities of these violent youth groups.
