Addis Abeba — The Murle tribe militants who crossed into Ethiopia's Gambella region from South Sudan have killed two individuals and injured one, according to Peace and Security Bureau of the region.

Utow Ukot, deputy head of the bureau said, militants crossed the border on the evening of Tuesday, 07 February and attacked Utuyo village in Gog district, Anyuak zone, killing two people and critically injured another one, the region's communications bureau reported.

The local community along with regional security forces are providing proper protection to prevent them from causing further damage, Utow said, adding that, "the region has deployed regional special forces and militia, and they are working hard to take action against the aggressors".

He called on the residents to actively defend the region in addition to the government's attempts to stop similar attacks in the two zones sharing wider border with South Sudan; Anyuak and Nuer.

Murle tribe militants have repeatedly crossed the border over the past years, killing people, kidnapping children, and stealing property particularly during the summer season, Utow added.

In January last year the Gambella police commission said militiamen from South Sudan's Murle tribe crossed the border and launched an attack on the region leaving eight people dead and five others injured.

It was followed by another attack in the second week of February, same year, where Murle armed men killed one, injured two others and abducted three children in Dima Refugee Camp and Gog district of Anyuak zone.

In March 2022 Addis Standard reported that six people died, more than 9,000 people displaced in Lare and Jikawo districts of Nuer zone near the South Sudanese border following clashed between Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) troops and the South Sudanese government led militants. AS