Police in Western Bahr el Ghazal State are investigating two separate shooting incidents in Jur River County last month that left a soldier and a civilian dead, a police spokesperson said.
State police spokesperson Col. Santino Oduol Mayen told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that an unidentified gunman shot and killed a soldier on October 20 as he travelled on a motorcycle taxi, commonly known as a boda-boda, towards Marial Bai town with two other passengers.
The soldier, who was serving with the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) 5th Infantry Division, was shot at about 8 p.m. No arrests had been made in connection with the killing, Oduol said.
He also reported a separate shooting in Roc-Roc-Dong Payam in which a civilian was killed during a confrontation reportedly triggered by an allegation of adultery.
Oduol said the confrontation began after one person accused another of having an affair with his wife. A gun was fired during the incident, striking a civilian who was nearby. The victim died at the scene.
Police said investigations into both killings were under way, with security personnel deployed to help identify and apprehend those responsible.
Oduol urged residents in the affected areas to cooperate with security forces and provide information that could help investigators track down the suspects.
He described the soldier’s killing as the second such incident following a similar case in Getti last month. However, he said no road ambushes or armed robberies had been reported along the Wau-Kuajok road.
Security forces had been deployed to patrol the road, he added, urging communities along the route to report suspicious activities.
Earlier this week, Jur River County caretaker commissioner Santino Manut Akech also reported the incidents and pledged to ensure that investigations were conducted.
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