Heavy fighting has reportedly erupted between South Sudan’s warring factions in the town of Pagak, the main rebel headquarters located at the Ethiopian border. The fighting broke out hours after a plane from Juba took off from Pagak airport.
Sounds of heavy artillery and explosions can be heard from 30 kilometres (18 miles) away, causing civilians in the surrounding area to flee.
South Sudanese rebels say they launched the attack after government forces refused to surrender or vacate their stronghold, Pagak.
Deputy Commanding General of the SPLA-IO 5th Division Major General James Ochan Puot told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) that, “We told them to leave Pagak or surrender, but they refused. So, we decided to attack them.”
On Monday, the SPLA-IO urged Pagak residents to stay in their homes, warned of the imminent attack, and suggested that government troops surrender before it is too late.
In what an SSNA reporter calls “surprising move,” a rebel military intelligence agent willingly disclosed to the South Sudan News Agency that their intelligence branches and contacts in neighbouring countries knew that a military aeroplane loaded with government troops, weapons, and ammunition was scheduled to arrive in Pagak Thursday evening.
The officer asserted that they are prepared to “teach government troops a good lesson.”
An SSNA crew embedded with the SPLA-IO commanding Generals have been prohibited by the armed opposition not to fully cover the fight, citing their military combat rules which exclude civilians in active war zones.
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