An officer with the National Security Service (NSS) was killed and four other security personnel wounded during a late-night attack on a joint security base in Malakal, authorities said Thursday.
Gunfire erupted Wednesday night, causing panic across the capital of Upper Nile State. The joint force, comprising the military, police, and national security services, was established to maintain order in Malakal following years of instability.
State Information Minister Peter Ngwonjo Akwiny told Radio Tamazuj that the identity of the attackers remains unknown. The wounded include members of the South Sudan Peoples’ Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the national police.
“There was a skirmish in Malakal between joint security forces and armed assailants,” Akwiny said. “It occurred when armed assailants attacked the base of the joint operation force on Wednesday night.”
The minister said the attack followed several days of rising inter-communal tensions in surrounding villages, which often spill over into the state capital. He added that security forces have since restored order.
“We contained the situation and calm has been restored,” he said.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, he added.
Akwiny confirmed that three suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack but declined to provide further details pending the outcome of the inquiry.
When asked about reports that the government-allied Abushok military group carried out the assault, Akwiny said he could neither confirm nor deny the claim.
“Naming things by name will not help with anything,” he said. “The security committee is the one who can know the identity of the attackers.”
Local sources told Radio Tamazuj that tensions in Malakal have been simmering since March 3. The friction reportedly stems from a group called Agrab, which is allied with the Abushok militia. According to locals, the joint security forces were deployed to the Saha residential area after fishermen complained of harassment by the Agrab group—a move that allegedly provoked the militia.