Two civilians and a soldier were killed on Monday when a suspected armed youth attacked an army barracks in the Ruweng Administrative Area, a local official said.
James Monylual Mijiok, the area’s minister for communication and information, said the assailant, believed to be from Guit County in neighbouring Unity State, opened fire on an SSPDF barracks at the Man-Awal oil site, killing two civilian casual workers. Soldiers intervened and one was shot dead, he said.
Mijiok urged authorities in Unity State and Ruweng to begin urgent dialogue to address persistent security tensions along the border.
Guit County Commissioner Simon Diu Liliey denied youth from his county were involved.
“There is no attack carried out by Guit youths in the Ruweng area. We are close to them and when they are attacked, they blame us,” he said. Liliey said both sides must cooperate to tackle criminal activity along the boundary and pledged to work with neighbouring counties to promote peace.