Map of Warrap State - (Courtesy).

Five people were killed and fifteen others sustained bullet-wounds on Friday during a sectional conflict in Luac-Jang, Tonj East County of Warrap State, the state government has said.

The deadly conflict which erupted on the evening of November 18 – saw young men from Kuok and Abuong sections beating themselves with sticks over a girl’s elopement.

“The incident was caused by the elopement of a girl and the section of Kuok and Abuong triggered this fighting using local sticks,” said the state information minister, William Wol Mayom.

Minister Wol said the conflict took a deadly turn as the youth collected guns and opened fire – leading to the killing of five people and the wounding of more than a dozen.

“On the same 18th, it also involves some firearms where one person was killed in Wunadel and in the morning 19th in the same area of Kolnyang, people from Wunadel and Kuok versus Abuong sub-section of Luac-Jang started to fight,” Wol said.

The sectional conflict erupted only a week after the appointment of a new governor for the restive state.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Sunday, Minister Wol said the violence went on through Saturday before state authorities intervened to stop it in the afternoon hours.

The official describes the security situation as relatively calm despite a lingering tension.

This is not the first time for a girl-related issue to end in bloodshed in Tonj East.

In 2017, a similar incident occurred between the two sections of Wun-Thuc and Wun-Adel leading to the death of 46 people and the wounding of dozens of others.