South Sudan army resumes airstrikes in Mayom

BENTIU — The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) on Wednesday resumed aerial bombardments in Mayom County of the country’s Unity State, killing at least three civilians and injuring several others, local sources said.

The air raids targeted Gor village in Lara Boma of Ruadhnyibol Payam, near the border with Warrap State, and occurred at around 5:19 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. local time, according to a resident who spoke to Sudans Post.

“This is what happened exactly. The plane came from the direction of Warrap State and attacked Gor village twice,” the source said.

“Three people, a man, a woman and a girl in her early teens, were killed. Several others were wounded and we expect the death toll to rise,” the source added.

The strikes come a day after similar aerial bombardments in Kueryiek Payam, where six people were killed.

A local source told Sudans Post that the wounded in Kueryiek were being treated in their homes without medical assistance, due to the absence of nearby health facilities and lack of roads connecting the villages to the county headquarters and other areas with nearest health facilities.

SSPDF spokesman Lul Ruai Koang had refused to comment about the aerial attacks, but then referring to them as “strategic” actions.

Mayom County, which has long been viewed as a pro-government area within Unity State, has seen rising tensions and military operations in recent weeks.