26 killed in attack on military base in South Sudan

An attack on a military base in South Sudan’s northern Warrap state killed 20 people, including soldiers, police officers and civilians. Six of the attackers also died, according to South Sudanese authorities cited by Agence France-Presse.

The armed group targeted a military base in Warrap, killing 16 members of the armed forces and police and four civilians. Authorities did not immediately establish why the attack was carried out.

Warrap has long seen violence between local groups, often involving bloody revenge attacks and cattle raids. The latest assault followed a separate attack reported a week earlier, when officials said at least 49 people were killed and 33 injured after cattle raiders from neighboring Unity state attacked a herders’ gathering at dawn.

Tribal and communal violence is common in South Sudan. Competition among herders for grazing land and scarce water supplies, combined with the widespread circulation of weapons among civilians, has intensified the violence. The latest deaths come as the country prepares for presidential elections scheduled for December, the first since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011.