Torit State government is investigating heavy shooting that erupted on Wednesday at Labalwa checkpoint in the town.
Police Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Ochan Jacob confirms that there was a heavy shooting between government and unknown armed forces at around 10 PM.
According to Ochan, eye witness told him that the armed people were six in number, others holding guns while some without guns.
He says no casualties were reported during the incident.
‘In fact around 10 PM at Labalwa Checkpoint, there is a report from the chief of Labalwa that there is a criminal coming towards the town some with arms. He estimates the people to be at least six people but not all armed. He informed us, our forces of the check point and our people get ready and make an ambush to know who are coming inside. When the criminals reach where our forces are, they were stopped, on stopping the forces they start firing our forces with bullets, in the process of exchanging bullets no any casualties reported, they threw two guns on the ground, AK47 and they are with us here’, says the Police officer.
The Police officer says security organs have been deployed in the area to follow the footmarks of the unknown armed men.
He calls on the local population to remain calm as the government is working hard to bring the culprits to justice.
Lieutenant Ochan says ‘This morning our forces went to check the area may be there is somebody who is wounded there or in the bush because the grass is too long. The same people [armed men] came back. They thought the two guns which were thrown down may be remained in the bush. They were coming to look for their guns, not knowing that we were following the footmarks. Our forces went to make checking in that area. When they saw our forces’.
Colonel Ochan Mathew was talking to Radio Emmanuel in his office in Torit on Thursday.