Four people, including two children, were killed and five others wounded in a cattle raid in Yirol West County in Lakes State, authorities and local leaders said.
The attack took place on Wednesday at about 10:23 a.m. at a cattle camp along the Bahr el Ghazal highway, officials said.
Lakes State cabinet affairs minister Stephen Mathiang Deng told Radio Tamazuj that the attackers were believed to be armed youths from Panyijiar County in neighbouring Unity State, though he cautioned the information remained unverified.
“We are still receiving reports, but initial information indicates armed youths from Panyijar were involved,” Deng said, adding that some witnesses said the assailants were wearing military uniforms.
He said security forces had been deployed to the area.
Local youth leader Anyak Mabor Anyak said the assailants attempted to raid about 1,750 cattle and opened fire on herders and civilians during the attack.
He said three wounded children aged between 7 and 9 were being treated at Mapuordit Hospital, with at least two in critical condition and likely to be referred to Juba for specialised treatment.
Medical staff at Mapuordit Hospital confirmed receiving three injured children, saying one was in serious condition with gunshot wounds to the shoulder and jaw.
Authorities and local leaders gave conflicting accounts of the attackers’ identities, with some alleging links to armed groups in Unity State, while others described them as criminal cattle raiders. Radio Tamazuj could not independently verify the claims.
Officials said a joint response involving security forces and local youth groups helped recover most of the stolen cattle, though some livestock were lost.
Cattle raids and intercommunal violence remain common in parts of South Sudan, often involving armed youth groups and resulting in civilian casualties.
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