![South Sudanese soldiers seen near a oil facility in South Sudan during the 2012 Heglig crisis [Photo by the Enough Project]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1797.jpg?quality=89&ssl=1)
Residents speaking to Sudans Post said fighting first erupted on Saturday evening when forces belonging to General Khor Chuol attacked SPLA-IO cantonment site at Wangkuarbi, Kuerkeem, and Wech Tutbour.
The residents told Sudans Post that the attacks were repulsed but a huge force with armored vehicles attacked the same places and fighting was still ongoing resulting in a number of civilian casualties.
“Yesterday they attacked these areas and their force was repulsed but this evening, they came with two tanks and many Toyota cars and the fighting is still ongoing and the SPLA-IO force seem to be outnumbered,” one person who identified himself as Gatluak said.
He said the “civilians have been displaced and there are no medical facilities in here in the area and that is why it is becoming a very big problem that when the politicians fight, it is out wives and children that bear the brunt.”
In a statement, SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said forces of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces were directly responsible for the attack which occurred in Longechuk.
“On 20/03/2022 at about 8:30am, the SSPDF launched aggressive simultaneous attacks against the SPLA-IO positions of Jekow, Lolnyang, Wang Kuarbiy and Kwerkeam in clear violation of CoHA signed on 21st December 2017,” he said in the statement as copy of which was seen by Sudans Post.
He said “These continuous intentional aggressions against the SPLA-IO do not only show lack of political will but also intent to take the country back to a full scale war.”
