Crime barricade tape. | Courtesy.

Law enforcement agents in the Abyei Administrative Area have arrested eight suspects in connection with the killing of a police officer during attempted jail break on Thursday.

Abyei Information Minister Bolis Koch said the suspects were arrested after armed youth stormed a police station to free their colleague who has been jailed by a court of law.

Minister Koch said a police captain tried to stop the bandits from breaking into the facility. He said the gunmen opened fire at officers on duty and shot the captain, who succumbed to injuries while being taken to a nearby hospital.

“The armed youth came and attacked the Abyei City Municipality police center. They came to free their colleague by force, they have attacked the police station and fired on the forces who were on duty,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

The information minister confirmed that the security forces managed to apprehend eight of suspects while two others are still at large. He said the authorities have launched an investigation and are actively tracking down perpetrators involved in attack.

“They fled after that attack, and one police captain sustained bullet and died and the body was taken to MSF hospital. In the morning, the security organs launched a crackdown on suspects and 8 of them were arrested.”

“According to preliminary investigation, they were 10 in number, so two of them are still at large and security are looking for them but 8 are in the hand of security.”