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They were traveling to raise awareness about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, it seems, they encountered violence.

The bodies of eight people have been discovered in southeastern Guinea, near the countrys border with Liberia, a government spokesman said in a statement Thursday. Among them were health care workers and local journalists.

Residents in the small town of Womey threw stones at the group when they arrived earlier this week, forcing them to flee, spokesman Albert Damantang Camara said. Some members of the group were able to safely reach the nearby town of Nzerekore, he said, while nine others went to find refuge around Womey.

Only one of the nine was found alive, hiding near the town.

The Guinean government has strongly condemned the killings and vowed to hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice. Camara said security forces have been deployed to support the ongoing investigation, and six people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The fight against the spread of the Ebola virus should be an opportunity for Guineans to set aside their differences and stand welded in this national effort, he said.

This is not the first time violence has flared in West Africa amid the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.

There have been other reports of teams from Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Red Cross and local ministries of health being pelted with rocks as they try to enter areas affected by the virus, MSFs Dr. Marc Forget told CNN. Earlier in the outbreak, a team from Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, had to stop working in Guinea because local residents believed they had brought the virus with them.

In August, Ebola patients were forced to flee a health care facility in Monrovia, Liberia, as it came under attack by armed assailants. No one was injured in the attack, but the men stole mattresses and equipment, Liberian National Police spokesman Sam Collins said.

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Journalists, health care workers, killed over Ebola fears