The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) said on Tuesday that 13 fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) were killed and another wounded and captured during two days of fighting in Wunkur, Upper Nile State.
SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang said government forces repelled repeated attacks on their position in Wunkur on Oct. 3 and 4.
He said government forces remained in control of the area after the clashes.
“In the two days of continuous attacks, we were able to eliminate a total of 13 fighters. We were able to capture one alive,” Koang told a news conference in Juba.
Koang said the captured fighter would be taken to Juba for specialised medical treatment and further investigation.
The SSPDF said its forces recovered four weapons from the scene, including a PKM machine gun, an RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher and two AK-47 rifles.
Koang said government forces remained in defensive positions and urged the SPLA-IO to stop attacking army positions.
“This is not the time for attacking each other. It is time for us to prepare for elections,” he said.
The SPLA-IO has given a conflicting account of the fighting, saying its forces captured Wunkur and inflicted casualties on government and allied forces. Its claims, as well as the SSPDF’s reported casualty figures, could not be independently verified.
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