Cattle keepers walk past their herd at a camp outside the town of Rumbek. July 31, 2017. (Photo: AP Photo/Mariah Quesada)

Panyijiar Commissioner in Unity State said security situation there is stable after six people were killed during fighting involving security forces attempting to seize raided cattle from armed youth last week.

Majok Bol said the deadly fighting occurred after regular forces persuaded armed raiders to surrender 46 cattle stolen from Yirol East County of Lakes State.

He said among the dead, four were from the security forces and two were the attackers.

Commissioner Bol added that two soldiers and three raiders were injured in the clashes.

He narrated that only 16 cattle were recovered in the incident. He further revealed that the situation is stable as the county authority pursue the culprits.

“There were criminals who went to Yirol East and raid cattle and brought them to the border in their cattle camp, we decided to recover the cattles from their hand and this is what brought the clash,” he told Eye Radio.

“The number of cattles was about 46, from the criminals two people were killed and from the forces 4 were killed the number is six. The injured soldiers are two and the criminals are three, we recovered like 16 cows and the remaining is 31 cows.”

Mr. Bol said the attempted recovery is part of his administration’s adherence to an agreement signed between Unity and Lakes States which stipulates that any cattle raided in the two areas will be recovered and handed back to the owners.

“We signed an agreement with Yirol East as a result of a conference conducted in September this year so we agreed that any cows raided from our side or lakes side will be returned back to the owners.”