2 SPLA-IO commanders allied to Gatwech killed during Magenis fighting – spokesman

JUBA – SPLA-IO spokesman Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel has claimed that two senior SPLA-IO commanders allied to General Simon Gatwech Dual were killed during fighting on Monday morning in Magenis, northern Upper Nile state.

Yesterday, General Gatwech’s forces accused Machar-allied forces of attacking their position from two directions triggering to a deadly fighting between the two rival opposition forces.

General Gatwech’s forces later on claimed victory.

“They have been attacking our bases and it proceeded till Sunday. This morning we couldn’t hold back anymore. So, at around 6 am, the SPLA-IO forces launched attacks on their launching areas….There are two Major Generals from their side who got killed, and one wounded,” Lam said, according to City Review.

Lam further said in an interview with Radio Tamazuj that “I do not have accurate details and statistics on the number of dead on both sides.”

General William Gatjiath Deng, the SPLA-IO spokesman allied to General Gatwech had earlier dismissed, as propaganda, social media speculations that two senior opposition commanders allied to them were killed following the deadly fighting

“As I am talking to you now, (SPLA-IO) forces are being defeated. The fighting is still going on because they are being pursued,” Gen. Gatjiath told Sudans Post in an interview on Monday afternoon following the outbreak of fighting.

“The propaganda that a senior SPLA-IO general has been killed from our side and the propaganda that they have captured the town is false,” Gatjiath added.