Two officers were shot and killed by members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force in Leer town of Unity state yesterday.

That’s according to George Kong, Leer Police Commissioner.

He told Eye Radio, the incident occurred when the commander of SSPDF brigade 12 in the area ordered his soldiers to shoot the officers after they questioned him for removing a murder suspect out from a prison.

Suspect Mayen Kuol, an armed civilian was detained for allegedly killing Mut Kubai belonging to SSOA while walking to Leer town from Mum cantonment site on 26^th of January.

He was arrested in a two-day search, according to the County police commissioner.

A court hearing into the case was supposed to be held Friday to try him.

But the session was postponed to Wednesday next week due to a busy schedule of the authorities.

However, the area Commander, Gatkuoth Joknyang complained why the prison director did not inform him about the matter and he went to the prison to remove the suspect.

When he was asked by the prison director and the officers why he decided to do that, he beat up the prison director and ordered his guards to shoot the two officers.

“So, he went there to the director of the prison and he beat the director of the prison and he also beat the officers and took the suspect by force.”

“So when the police in the market asked him what happened, he told the body guards to shoot my soldiers and he shot the captain who is the  bodyguard to the Commissioner [of Leer County] – two of them died yesterday .

Kong identified the deceased as Sergeant Majak Thiang and Lt Col. William Nyuon Jany Bol .

Leer County Commissioner said commander Gatkuoth Joknyang defied an arrest issued against him.