Cattle being driven somewhere in South Sudan - Photo credit: Courtesy

At least 20 people have been killed and 10,000 heads of cattle stolen in a cattle raid in Mugali Payam of Magwi County Wednesday morning.

The Inspector of Nimule Police Major David Kasimiro says armed cattle raiders attacked the cattle camp at midnight, and left 11 people wounded.

Major Kasimiro says an unknown number of people are still missing.

The police boss said the deceased include 18 civilians and two others are members of retired wounded heroes.

He says among them, three are children of less than 5 years and 5 women.

Speaking to Eye Radio Wednesday evening, he says the organized forces have restored calm in the area.

“In the middle of the night, armed cattle raiders came to a cattle camp called Kornyang at Mugali Payam. They raided more than  10,000 cattle and killed more than 20 cattle keepers,” Kasimiro told Eye Radio.

“Several people from the camp are missing and they have not returned up to now. Now the situation is normal, there is no problem but out of the town, the situation is unstable.

“All the organized forces went out to the crime scene and several medical personnel went up top there to bring the wounded and the dead to Nimule hospital.”

Kasimiro also said 52 cattle were killed and a number of goats were shot dead during the mid-night raid.