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 on Wednesday.
Suspected armed youths ambushed the convoy on Tuesday morning, Abraham Kelang, information minister of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, said.
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.
Many of South Sudan's feuding communities are flush with weapons, after a five-year civil war broke out in 2013.
Motive unknown
The convoy had only travelled 10 kilometres (six miles) when it encountered gunfire "which led to the killing of the commissioner plus 14 others," Kelang told AFP.
In addition to the commissioner of Jebel Boma county, a deputy commander of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and a woman were among the dead.
The motive of the attack was not immediately clear.
South Sudan has endured persistent natural disasters, hunger, economic meltdown and communal conflict.
In January, fighting between rival communities in a disputed region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan killed 54 people, including two UN peacekeepers.
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