The border region of Abyei has been contested since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

At least five people have been killed in the Abyei area and several others were injured after Messiria gunmen attacked the area on Wednesday morning.

This is according to the minister of education, who is also the spokesman of the Abyei Administrative Area.

Ajak Deng told Eye Radio that there are not enough details about the situation on the ground because fighting is still going on.

He says Messiria attacked Lou village, 17 kilometers east of Abyei town and killed five civilians, and raided 3,000 heads of cattle.

Ajak says another attack happened in the area of Amet market and Ngong area, but there is no access to information from the ground.

“What happened in the morning, in the eastern side of Abyei in a place called Lou, the Messiria militants attacked a cattle camp and killed five civilians and they took around 3000 heads of cattle,” Deng told Eye Radio.

“They attacked a village called Nyong and Amet market and for that, I don’t have information up to now, I am in a funeral place because I lost one of my relatives in the incident on the eastern side.”

Last month, 27 people were reportedly killed and four others wounded by suspected Messiria gunmen from neighboring Sudan.