Two killed after attack in South Sudan’s Juba

Nov 18, 2006 (JUBA) — Two sentries in charge of the weapons and ammunition depot in Juba were killed and seven other SPLM members injured as a result of an armed attack by two unidentified men.

In a press statement to Akhbar al Youm newspaper, head of the SPLM joint defence council’s technical committee Maj Gen Ilyas Waya said the attackers had tried to set fire to the depot in Muniki area in Juba on Thursday 16 November, when the sentries confronted them, which led to their killing. Seven others were wounded and taken to Juba hospital.

In a different version, the Sudan Radio service said three were killed in this attack. Two from the SPLA and the third is from the Joint Integrated Units.

The shoot-out started when two SPLA soldiers on patrol tried to stop a white pick-up car. The driver refused to stop and armed passengers began shooting at the SPLA soldiers.

The SPLA returned fire, and in the shoot-out two SPLA soldiers in uniform were killed and one of the armed people in the pickup car was killed. The police constable identified the killed assailant as a member of the Joint Integrated Units. The rest of the armed men managed to escape in the pickup.

Ilyas said investigations were going on to identify the attackers and ascertain further details about the incident.

The raise of insecurity in Juba pushed the Government of Southern Sudan to take major steps to protect civilians from the ongoing roadside ambushes by deploying SPLA forces on the three main roads that connect to Juba.

The Southern Sudan government has deployed SPLA soldiers in the three roads of Bor, Nimule and Torit, “there is now security in those roads and the attacks have subsided,” stresses Riak Machar the vice-president of the GOSS in a press conference last Saturday.

(ST)