(Pibor) – Three South Sudanese soldiers were shot dead and one national security officer was wounded in an armed attack on Thursday near a road construction site in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. Local officials reported that the gunmen, who were dressed in civilian clothing and riding motorcycles, ambushed the soldiers stationed to protect the road workers.
According to Nyinginga Okanho Kiro, the Minister of Information for Greater Pibor, the attack took place near the village of Manyabol, close to the border with Jonglei State, in an area near the town of Anyidi.
“These criminals came on motorbikes and began shooting, killing three soldiers and injuring a security officer,” said Minister Kiro in a statement to Radio Tamazuj on Friday.
The victims were part of a security deployment intended to protect the road construction team. The road under development is expected to connect the Greater Pibor region to Jonglei State, improving transportation and access between the two regions. The project had seen previous security-related disruptions, prompting the government to assign military personnel to safeguard the area.
The minister condemned the assault, calling it a criminal act against the state’s efforts to promote infrastructure and regional integration. He stated that the attackers fled the scene and are suspected to have come from Anyidi in Jonglei State’s Bor County. However, officials did not immediately identify a motive or any affiliation of the attackers.
Nyamar Lony Thichiot, the Minister of Information in Jonglei State, could not be reached for comment regarding the allegations of the attackers’ origin.
Road construction is seen by many as a key factor in driving stability and development, especially in historically marginalised areas like Greater Pibor. However, insecurity and local tensions continue to pose significant risks to such efforts.
Security forces in the region are now pursuing the attackers, but no arrests or further information had been released at the time of reporting.