JUBA: Fifteen people, including a regional commissioner, died when their convoy was ambushed in South Sudan’s eastern Pibor region near the Ethiopian frontier, a senior official said Wednesday.

Suspected armed youths belonging to the Anyuak ethnic group from Pochalla county ambushed the convoy on Tuesday morning, said Abraham Kelang, information minister of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

Clashes between rival ethnic groups in South Sudan erupt frequently — often sparked by cattle rustling and disputes over natural resources, or in retaliation for previous attacks.