Soldiers assess a village in the town of Abyei following an attack by armed assailants. (-)

An official in the Abyei Administrative Area said 11 people were wounded when five areas came under attack by armed youth allegedly from neighboring Warrap State.

Abyei Information Minister Bolis Kuoch said a number of locations in the region were hit by violence perpetrated by gunmen believed to be from Twic county, since Saturday.

Kuoch said the first attack occurred at 9:00 AM on Saturday – when armed men opened fire at Athoung Ayok village in Aleel County – wounding 7 people.

According to him, four areas were also attacked on Sunday morning starting from Juljok, Agok West and an ambulance carrying wounded people descended in an ambush at Wau-chien.

“The report we have now is 7 people wounded and they are in hospital, and also there was an ambulance that fell in an ambush in the area called Wau-achien, a part of Rum-Ameer, and four people were wounded, but for dead people, we have not yet received the report.”

Mr. Kuoch further said the fighting was still ongoing at Ajang-Deng-Kaya.

He told Eye Radio that they are waiting for the fighting to stop to get a detailed report about the casualties and the situation.

“The clashes are still ongoing now in the area called Maj-Deng Kaya. That is where the fight is ongoing, and we have not yet managed to reach ground, but the wounded people was brought,” Kuoch said.

“Later will be searching and counting the casualties and when we got the reports we will give you the full details, so we are waiting for the report.”

Warrap State government spokesperson William Wol Mayom is yet to comment on the allegations accusing youth from his state.

The renewed violence is a continuation of hostilities between the neighboring communities despite several peace efforts in the past.

The latest clashes occur two weeks after an official said at least 32 people were killed during raids on several villages in southern Abyei.