(YAMBIO) – At least five people have been killed and several others injured in a series of armed attacks in Western Equatoria State, South Sudan, in the past week. Local authorities have reported the incidents, which occurred in Mundri East and Tambura counties, involved ambushes, targeted killings and the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.
According to Maj. Gen. Phillip Madut Tong, the State Police Commissioner, one person was killed in Mundri East and four others in Tambura. He called on local residents to cooperate with law enforcement and provide information on the suspects. “These criminals live among us,” he said in a statement to Radio Tamazuj.
The first attack took place along the Yeri–Lui–Juba road, a key route used by traders and travellers. A group of vehicles heading to Juba was ambushed between Lui and Lainya by armed men believed to be rebels. During the assault, a businesswoman was killed and a young man wounded. The rest of the convoy managed to retreat to Lui.
Mundri East County Commissioner John Henry Ngalamu confirmed the details. “One woman was killed instantly, and one man was injured. The rest escaped and returned to Lui,” he stated.
In a separate incident in Gbanzua village, Tambura County, gunmen opened fire on three civilians, two boys and a mentally ill woman, as they walked to their garden. All three were killed on the spot. The same attackers later burned down the village’s only Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), which had been serving more than 3,000 internally displaced persons.
Tambura County Commissioner Mathew Mabenge condemned the destruction, calling it “a big blow to vulnerable communities.” The only surviving victim of the Gbanzua attack is now receiving treatment at the main hospital in Tambura town.
Security forces have launched an operation to pursue those responsible. Reinforcements from the 6th Division Headquarters in Maridi have been deployed, and joint patrols are being carried out in high risk areas.
Local leaders, including civil society groups, have strongly condemned the rising insecurity and appealed to armed groups to stop targeting civilians. They urged all parties to the conflict to commit to peace and spare communities further displacement and trauma.
The destroyed health centre had served a population already facing severe hardship, limited access to medicine and overcrowding due to displacement. The loss is expected to further strain existing health services in the region.
