At least three people were killed, six others injured, and a nine-month-old baby girl abducted in Duk County, Jonglei State, on Christmas Eve.
The incident occurred between Wednesday and Thursday when
suspected criminals, believed to have come from the Greater Pibor
Administrative Area, attacked the county.
Duk County Commissioner John Chatim Ruai confirmed the
attack in a phone interview with Mingkaman FM, stating that those who sustained
severe gunshot wounds were transported to Juba for advanced medical care.
"It was during Christmas when women went out to look
for food for their home consumption somewhere within the area. They
accidentally met the criminals, and these women decided to run back and inform the
community. The community then went to see what the women had reported,” Ruai narrated.
“They met the criminals, and they fought from Wednesday to
Thursday. Three people were killed, six were injured, and an infant was
abducted from her mother's arms. The criminals allowed the woman to go without
harming her.”
For his part, Jacob Weerchom, the Information Minister of
Greater Pibor Administrative Area, denied the claims that youth from his area
attacked Duk County, stating that none of their youth were out during the
Christmas celebration.
"We have been with our youth during the celebration,
engaging them with peace messages. Let the Duk government look for those
criminals very well, because there is no proof that they are our youth who have
gone to that side and did that," said Weerchom.
According to the County Commissioner, the last time they
received such an attack was in December of last year, when unknown criminals
took more than 200 heads of cattle in Duk. Now, they have been attacked again
for the second time within the same December time frame.