Map of Western Bahr El Ghazal State. | Photo: Wikipedia.

Warrap State government said about 110 police personnel heading to Kuajok from the Tonj region were ambushed in Tharkueng Payam of Western Bhar el Gazal State on Saturday, leading to a bloodless shootout.

The state information minister, William Wol Mayom, said the police officers from Tonj East and Tonj South counties were being transported to the state capital to attend refreshment training.

Mayom said when the officers fell into ambush, they returned fire and briefly clashed with the attackers, but there were no casualties on both sides.

Minister Mayom said the police officers were forced to divert the journey to Wau town to seek government reinforcements.

“They (110 police trainees) were coming to attend the three-month police refrain course in Kuajok of Warrap state, when they were ambushed yesterday but we thank God that all of them came out safe,” Mayom told Eye Radio.

“There is circulation of a lot of rumors that people have been attacked and they are killed. I just want to clarify that no one has been hurt.”

He said the Western Bhar el Gazal government tried to convince the armed youth to allow the force to cross through the area that has been the center of deadly communal violence.

However, Mayom said when the police personnel were returning from Wau under heavy security escort, they were again ambushed, before fighting their way safely to Kuajok.

“The government of Western Bhar el Gazal has supported all the police personnel in one of the states. They were attacked by the youth from Marial pay of Western Bhar el Gazal So, they were taken back to Wau.”

“Before reaching the same they were seriously ambushed and they exchanged confronts, they penetrated the ambush and came safely to Kuajok.”

The sporadic exchange of fire happened a week after 20 people were killed in Tharkueng Payam of Jur River County by armed men believed to have come from Warrap.

On his part, Western Bahr el Ghazal Police Commissioner General James Simon confirmed the attack.

General Simon says they managed to calm the situation and escort the police personnel to their destination.

The security official says Warrap police did not inform them that their force would cross through the volatile territory.

“Some youth from Tharkueng Payam intercepted them because it was at night and refused to let them cross,” General Simon told Eye Radio.

“In addition, we were not informed by the police in Warrap state that the force would cross from Western Bhar el Gazal State to Warrap.”

“But after the authorities in Warrap informed us, we returned the force to confirm their identity and that they were indeed affiliated with the police and allowed them to cross on the next day which 10^th of February.”