Clashes between police and armed civilians in Cueibet County of Lakes State have left three dead and five others injured, a local official said.

Zachariah Mamer Thokgor, the Executive Director of Cueibet County, told Radio Tamazuj that the fighting erupted on Tuesday as a group of armed youths attempted to take a bull by force from police officers.

"The fighting in Abiriu Payam started after a group of youths from the Wat section attempted to take a bull by the use of force from police. The bull was actually recovered by police authorities from cattle raiders,” he explained.

The local official said a police officer was killed in the fighting. Thokgor pointed out that the bull was also killed in the clashes.

Thokgor disclosed that the state government had dispatched more security forces to the area to control the situation security. He urged youths to desist from armed confrontations with organized forces.

Last month, clashes between soldiers and civilians during a disarmament exercise in Tonj town of Warrap state left more than 100 dead.