Juba, South Sudan — Gunmen killed more than 70 people in South Sudan over a gold mining dispute on the outskirts of the capital over the weekend, a police spokesman confirmed on Monday.
A video of dozens of bodies in an open field was shared online, and a local journalist said several other victims were believed to have fled into the bushes.
The gold mining site at Jebel Iraq in Central Equatoria state has in the past been the site of violent clashes between illegal miners and mining companies.
Police spokesman Kwasijwok Dominik Amondok said he would share more details about the attack as he received more information.
“All I know is that unidentified gunmen attacked a gold mine in Jebel Iraq. More than 70 people have been killed and many injured,” he said.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – in the opposition, or SPLM/A-IO, condemned the attack on Monday and blamed government forces.
