A cattle raid in Southern Sudan possibly sparked by the region's high bride price — 100 cows or more — left 21 people dead, an official said Wednesday.

Cattle raiders had attempted to steal hundreds of cattle from a camp in Southern Sudan's Yirol East region, but 20 raiders were killed during the attempt by the tribe they were attacking, said Maj. Gen. Kuol Deim Kuol, a spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Army.