JUBA, South Sudan August 9, 2013 (AP)
Officials in South Sudan say cattle rustlers killed nine people in the country's most violent state.
Dau Akoi Jurkuch, a county commissioner in Jonglei state, said Friday that armed raiders in military uniform attacked a cattle camp Thursday. Jurkuch said the raiders killed eight people and that one raider was also killed. He said between 5,000 and 10,000 cattle were stolen.
South Sudan's military spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, confirmed the attack but didn't have casualty figures.
Jurkuch said based on the tribal marks seen on the dead raider's body the attackers were Murle tribesman.
The Murle are caught in a cyclical campaign of violence with the Lou Nurle. A Murle official said Thursday that more than 325 Murle died in a July attack by Lou Nurle in Jonglei.