Author: Elsheikh Chol Ajieng | Published: 55 minutes ago
Aerial view of Adong Payam|Courtesy
The death toll from Friday’s brutal raid in Baliet County, Upper Nile State, has risen to 66, including two local chiefs, with 65 others wounded, local officials say. Earlier reports had put the fatalities at 57.
Joseph Deng, the Commissioner of Baliet County, the incident occurred on 14 November at around 5:30 a.m., when suspected armed assailants from neighboring Ulang County launched a coordinated assault from multiple directions.
“Yesterday, November 14th, at 5:30 AM, Payam Aduong was attacked. The attack came from all directions and covered the entire area. The shooting was indiscriminate, as it occurred in the center of the region, ” Commissioner Deng told Eye Radio from Baliet County this morning.
“They fired on civilians and released livestock. The attack resulted in the deaths of many civilians, exceeding 66 people, including children, women, and the elderly,”
He added that 65 others sustained injuries, including 29 in critical condition, and that all the wounded have been evacuated to Malakal town for treatment.
“Yesterday, we requested that organizations transport the wounded to Malakal. More than 5,000 head of cattle were looted,” Deng said, adding that many civilians have fled into the bush and surrounding areas following the raid.
Efforts to reach authorities in Ulang County for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
