At least nine people, including women and children, were killed in an airstrike by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on an SPLA-IO-controlled area of Lankien, Nyirol County, Jonglei State, on Monday morning, according to military officials.
Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor, SPLA-IO military spokesperson in Jonglei, told Radio Tamazuj that the airstrike, which targeted a market in Lankien at around 10 a.m., killed at least 9 people, including children. He condemned the attack as “heinous.”
“At 10 a.m., the SSPDF carried out an airstrike on a market area in Lankien town, killing nine people. Of those killed, three were women, five were children, and one was a handicapped man,” he said.
Lt. Col. Mabor also reported clashes between SPLA-IO and SSPDF forces in Riang Payam earlier on Monday, resulting in casualties on both sides.
“SSPDF launched a ground attack on our territory in Riang Payam, Nyirol County. We lost two soldiers, and four were injured, while five SSPDF soldiers were found dead,” he said.
Separately, Peter Gatkuoth Koang, SPLM-IO-appointed Nyirol County commissioner, told this publication that the clashes in Riang left eight people dead and five injured.
“During the early morning attack on our base in Riang Payam, we lost four soldiers, and five were injured, while four SSPDF soldiers’ bodies were recovered after they were repulsed,” Gatkuoth said.
“After the Riang attack at around 6 a.m., the SSPDF launched an airstrike on a market in Lankien town, killing seven civilians and injuring 13,” he added.
The local opposition official said the security situation remains tense. “Civilians are living in fear because of airstrikes targeting them. Security is unstable, but our forces are ready,” he said.
Attempts by Radio Tamazuj to reach the SSPDF for comment were unsuccessful.
Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the attacks, saying the violence threatens the safety and protection of civilians.
He warned that the ongoing confrontations between SSPDF and SPLA-IO could escalate into serious human rights violations and potential war crimes.
“The continued violence shows a deep deficit of trust between the forces of the parties to the R-ARCSS agreement, fueled by rigid political culture and struggles for power,” Yakani said. He called for urgent peace mediation with both signatory and non-signatory parties, warning that the upcoming dry season increases the risk of full-scale conflict.
Parts of Jonglei State have seen rising tensions between SPLA-IO and SSPDF forces. Clashes last week led to the capture of an SSPDF base in the town of Waat by SPLA-IO forces.