(Tambura) – A police officer and a medical doctor were killed on Sunday morning in a deadly ambush by unidentified gunmen along the Tambura–Mapoi–Yambio road in Western Equatoria State. Local authorities confirmed the incident which occurred around 8:30 a.m, about 15 kilometres outside Tambura Town, as the victims travelled by motorbike from Mapoi to Tambura.
According to Acting Inspector of Police in Tambura, First Lieutenant John Kinolo Baptist, the victims were identified as Private Agustino Monday Paul, a serving officer in the police force, and Dr. Festo Arkangelo, a respected medical practitioner known across the area for his work. Lt. Kinolo said the victims were ambushed on their journey, killed on the spot, and stripped of their belongings, including the officer’s firearm and their motorbike.
“When security forces arrived at the scene, they found the bodies stripped and left in their underwear,” Lt. Kinolo told reporters. Security units were quickly dispatched to recover the bodies and begin investigations, but as of Monday, no arrests had been made and the attackers remain at large.
The attack has raised concerns over growing insecurity in the region, especially on the Tambura–Yambio and Tambura–Nagero–Wau roads. Lt. Kinolo urged both state and national governments to urgently deploy additional security forces to stabilise the area and restore public confidence.
Just hours after the ambush, another deadly incident was reported along the same road. Acting Paramount Chief of Tambura County, Thomas Bandaisa, confirmed that two more individuals, Mandela Paul of Mapoi and Dr. Faisal of Nandi Payam, were also attacked while travelling the same route. One of them was killed on the spot, he said.
Chief Bandaisa said the frequency of such ambushes has created a serious threat to peace and civilian safety in the region.
“Local leaders, with the support of the Organization for Peace in Tambura, searched nearby bushes for suspects, but the remote terrain made tracking difficult,” he noted.
Western Equatoria State Police Commissioner, Major General Philip Madut Tong, described the attack as a deliberate criminal act by armed individuals hiding among the local population. “These were not spontaneous attacks. They were organised by elements who blend in with civilians,” he said. He added that the situation had since calmed, but urged community members to assist law enforcement by reporting any suspicious activity.
The killings have caused widespread grief in Tambura and beyond. Community members and leaders have united in calling for stronger security measures, regular road patrols, better intelligence gathering, and immediate justice for the victims.
No monetary losses were officially reported, but the killing of a police officer and a doctor, both serving the public, has sparked urgent calls to protect professionals working in volatile areas.
Local leaders say failure to ensure safe passage along vital roads threatens the delivery of critical services to rural communities. Residents and civil society organisations are now demanding greater government accountability and concrete actions.
