Unidentified gunmen killed a soldier and robbed 20 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) at gunpoint in a late-night attack on a petrol station in Tambura County of Western Equatoria State, local officials said Saturday.
The assailants opened fire around 9 p.m. Friday, killing a soldier guarding the station, Tambura County Commissioner Mathew Mabenge told Radio Tamazuj.
“At around 9 p.m., we heard the sound of gunfire, and after investigation, it was found that a group of criminals came and attacked a petrol station run by Somali nationals. They killed a soldier, threatened Somalis at gunpoint, took 20 million SSP, and escaped,” he said.
The soldier was identified as Philip Sanangon. Four Somali workers at the station were also attacked but survived.
Security forces were deployed Saturday morning to investigate, Mabenge said, urging residents to report suspicious activity.
“The government must increase patrols to protect communities so that people can live peacefully and focus on producing food,” Mabenge said.
Meanwhile, State Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Philip Madut Tong also confirmed the attackers took the soldier’s firearm and the money. He said a separate incident occurred that night in Yambio, where an unidentified soldier fired shots into the air, causing panic.
Tambura’s acting paramount chief, Thomas Bandaisa, said the attackers’ identities remain unknown, but investigations are ongoing.
The motive of the attackers remains unclear, but Tambura County has lately witnessed rising insecurity, which has alarmed residents who have been calling on authorities to intervene.