At least 15 killed in separate attacks in South Sudan

At least 10 people have been killed and five others shot dead in separate attacks this week in a village about 75 Km from South Sudan's capital of Juba, authorities said on Thursday.

A Police spokesman, Daniel Justine Bolo told Xinhua that police recovered bodies of 10 charcoal traders from Mangalla County, northeast of Juba, adding that the dead included eight men and two women, among them a Sudanese national.

Meanwhile, Managalla County Commissioner, Elario Fataki said four cattle traders and a government soldier were also gunned down early this week in the same area along a major trading route.

He said calm has since returned after deployment of security operatives to the area.

Insecurity in South Sudan has raged to other peaceful parts of the war-torn country following renewed fighting in July.

The government said last week that at least 95 people have died in targeted killings along major roads across South Sudan since September.

South Sudan's president Salva Kiir on Wednesday threatened to take direct command of the fight against ethnic violence if the country's security agencies fail to stop the widespread killings in the Equatoria region which enjoyed relative peace during the country's civil conflict that began late 2013. Endit