At least 17 people were killed in Unity State’s Panyijar County last Friday when armed elements from Lakes State’s Rumbek North County attacked a cattle camp in neighboring Panyijar.
Stephen Gai, the military commissioner of Panyijar County from the SPLM-IO, said the death toll was the result of a cattle raid and confirmed that 17 people died on the spot and several were wounded.
“17 people were killed from both sides. Five armed youth were killed, and seven were injured among the armed youth from Panyijar. The injured are now receiving treatment,” he said. “On the side of the attackers from Rumbek North, 12 people were killed on the spot.”
Meanwhile, Unity State Information Minister Nyakenya Johannes Keah Ruai confirmed the incident but said she was still gathering information from the executive director of Panyijar County.
“I will not talk now because we do not recognize the person (commissioner) on the ground; the only person we recognize is Gabriel Magok Bol as commissioner of Panyijar County,” she said.
For his part, Paul Chabiet, the Lake State information minister, hung up the phone on Radio Tamazuj when contacted.
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