KAMPALA, Uganda — The death toll from a cattle raid in an eastern region of weeks-old South Sudan rose significantly on Monday with the United Nations saying more than 600 people had been killed in what was a retaliatory attack that has raised fears of ethnic instability on the deeply impoverished country.
The fighting, last Thursday by ethnic Murle on three Nuer villages was originally reported to have resulted in 58 deaths. But on Monday, the United Nations said the flow of information had been hampered by vast distances and poor logistics.
In a statement, the United Nations said that up to 30,000 head of cattle had been stolen and that it was investigating the possibility that as many as 200 people had been abducted, making it one of the largest attacks in recent memory.
Full story: Death toll passes 600 from raid in South Sudan