Army attacks SPLA-IO positions in Nasir after clash with armed civilians

JUBA – South Sudan’s army has this morning attacked several SPLA-IO military positions in the Upper Nile state’s Nasir county after fighting with civilians on Sunday led to the death of at least one soldier, according to a senior member of the main armed opposition group.

Lam Gatdet, the chairperson of the SPLM-IO chapter in Egypt, told Sudans Post this morning in an exclusive interview in Khartoum that there were clashes between a few South Sudan army soldiers and armed civilians near Nasir town on Sunday that resulted in the killing of at least one soldier.

Following the minor clash, Lam said, the soldiers retreated back to Nasir town to reinforce and returned back to attack several villages killing civilians and later on attacked three SPLA-IO barracks outside Nasir town.

“Yesterday, a number of civilians were heading to Nasir town for a court session over cattle dispute. When they were about to enter Nasir, they met SSPDF soldiers who then opened fire on them without any reason. After minutes of gunfire exchange, one soldier was killed and the remaining soldiers returned to Nasir,” Lam said.

“When they arrived in Nasir, the soldiers got many other soldiers with them and they returned to several villages and set on fire Koat Cie Gaw and Koan Thon and displaced many civilians and killed a number of them,” he added.

The senior opposition official further said the army has this morning left Nasir town and attacked an SPLA-IO base at ketbek burning it to ashes, but said the government forces have been repulsed back to Nasir town.

“This morning they came out to attack SPLA-IO garrison in Ketbek. They set it on fire also but teh fighting has stopped and they have been repulsed back to Nasir,” Lam further added from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.