4 journalists among 11 dead in South Sudan ambush - radio

USPA News - At least four journalists working for South Sudan`s state-run media were among eleven people killed Sunday when a convoy carrying a local government official and journalists was ambushed in the country`s west, independent radio reported on Monday. The attack happened on Sunday morning when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a two-car convoy as it traveled over a bridge in the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal.

The vehicles were carrying Raja County Commissioner James Benjamin as well as journalists from Raja Radio, Radio Wau and South Sudan TV. Radio Tamazuj, citing Governor Rizik Zakaria Hassan, said the commissioner and his bodyguard suffered minor injuries when the gunmen opened fire, but the vehicle managed to escape and continued driving for about 20 minutes, after which they walked to a nearby village and called for help. Government forces later located the second car. Governor Hassan said the burnt bodies of four women were found inside the vehicle, as well as the body of a child, while six other bodies were located in the nearby area. A hospital official told the radio station that four of those killed were identified as journalists, though a source told Radio Tamazuj that a fifth journalist was also among the dead. Some of the victims are believed to have been shot dead before being set on fire, the report said.