Armed youth in show of weaponry. | Courtesy

At least two SSPDF soldiers and three police officers have been killed by armed youth in Rumbek Central County of Lakes State.

Two other police officers were also injured in the dreadful clashes with a gang group, according the state police spokesperson.

Major Elijah Mabor said the incident occurred Wednesday when the security forces attempted to forcefully disarm some armed youth who are defiant to governor Ring Tueny’s voluntary disbarment orders.

“It was on February 9, when the security forces clashed with some notorious criminals at a place called Matila, the place is under Rumbek Central County. It has caused the loss of two soldiers and three police officers, leaving 2 others wounded,” he said.

The criminals have been accused of terrorizing locals in Cueibet County and the surrounding villages.

Mabor stated that several clashes occurred between the state security forces and the armed youth over the past three days.

The suspected criminals were aid to have attacked Abyieichok village, setting huts on fire and killing his police relative and wounding a civilian.

“The criminals came to the house of a police sergeant who was on mission and they set the house on fire. When one of his relatives who was a police officer tried to run to see what was happening, he fell in an ambush and he was also killed.”

Mabor said this compelled the security forces to launch an operation to fish out the armed youth from their hide outs after discovering their exact sanctuary.

In the operation, Mabor said the criminal gunned down two SSPDF soldiers and three police officers, leaving two others wounded.

On the side of the armed youth, Mabor said “they were all killed and they were three in number.”

Lakes State has experienced endless waves of communal violence, mainly fueled by revenge attacks, cattle raiding, and land grabbing.

In the past seven months security was reported to calm after President Salva Kiir appointed Rin Tueny, the former military intelligence director as Lakes governor.