Peacekeepers patrolling S. Sudan after cattle raids

JUBA, South Sudan, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The U.N. Mission in South Sudan said Monday it was conducting aerial surveillance to track the movement of attackers in the country's restive Jonglei state.

Rebel fighters in Jonglei state left 41 people dead and 46 others injured in attacks on cattle camps Sunday. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan issued a statement saying it was patrolling the region from the air to get a better idea of the scale of the violence and to track the movement of the suspected perpetrators.

"UNMISS wishes to convey its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the attacks," the mission said in a statement.

The mission said it was still in the process of removing victims from the scene of the violence in Jonglei.

UNMISS estimates approximately 100,000 civilians are affected by fighting in the region.

The U.N. Security Council in June called on the government in Sudan to take on a greater role in protecting civilians in the country. The government was criticized for impeding the movement of mission personnel. The mission, meanwhile, was asked to prepare global efforts to prepare for national elections in 2015.

South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 under terms of a truce that ended the Sudanese civil war in 2005.