SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement that the clashes broke out at about 5:00 a.m. on Saturday when opposition forces launched attacks on SSPDF bases in Lasu and Libogo, two villages located roughly 25 kilometers southwest of Yei town.
Lam claimed that 12 SSPDF soldiers were killed in the operation while five SPLA-IO fighters died in action. Several others were injured on both sides, though the exact number of wounded remains unclear.
Col. Lam also confirmed that the opposition seized a significant cache of weapons and equipment from government forces, including a Land Cruiser pickup mounted with a 14.5 mm gun, a 120 mm mortar, a 12.7 mm machine gun, and several assault rifles.
“The weapons are in good working condition and will be redeployed for the protection of our forces,” he stated Saturday.
The intensity of the clashes caused panic among civilians in Yei, who reported hearing sustained gunfire through the morning hours.
Humanitarian groups have previously warned that renewed violence in the region could deepen the displacement crisis, as Yei County already hosts large numbers of internally displaced people and refugees fleeing insecurity.
In a separate incident on Friday, SPLA-IO forces in Upper Nile said they intercepted SSPDF elements moving from Burabyie to Jikmir, accusing them of harassing and looting civilian property. The opposition claimed to have cleared the area and recovered all government weapons.
The SSPDF has not issued any statement on the incidents.
Yei, strategically located near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has long been a flashpoint for armed conflict.
The latest fighting underscores the fragility of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, already under strain since the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar in March. His detention followed earlier skirmishes between the SSPDF and youth militias aligned with the opposition, raising concerns about a return to full-scale conflict.
Observers warn that without urgent de-escalation, the violence could spiral, jeopardizing humanitarian access and worsening South Sudan’s already dire economic and security crisis.
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