The car in which the engineer traveled was burnt|Courtesy

A foreign civil engineer working on a school project in South Sudan’s Morobo County was killed early Thursday morning in a deadly ambush along the Morobo-Kaya road, local officials and security sources have confirmed.

James Karigi was traveling with a fellow engineer around 8:00 a.m. when unknown gunmen attacked their vehicle en route to Kaya.

The two men had reportedly been contracted by the Don Bosco Catholic Diocese of Morobo to carry out construction at the new St. Charles Lwanga School.

“The body of James Karigi was recovered from the burning vehicle,” Commissioner Bullen said.

According to Morobo County Commissioner Hon. Charles Data Bullen, the attackers also targeted two motorcycle riders believed to be escorting the engineers. The whereabouts of the second Kenyan national and both riders remain unknown as of this report.

“Government forces responded swiftly, and during a brief exchange of fire, one of the attackers, identified as a known SPLA-IO fighter, was killed.”

While no group has officially claimed responsibility, Bullen linked it to the presence of SPLA-IO elements in the region, whom he blamed for the wave of ambushes and violence against civilians.

The Don Bosco Diocese has yet to release an official statement, but a Church source described the incident as “a tragic loss and a blow to our educational mission in the region.”

Bullen extended his condolences to the victims’ families and the Don Bosco community, urging them to “stay strong in these trying times.”

Authorities have advised all travelers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity along major roads in the county, especially in volatile areas.