Government officials in South Sudan’s Northern Liech state said their forces clashed with opposition fighters loyal to former first vice president Riek Machar on Sunday, 5k kilometres outside the UN camp in Bentiu town.

Northern Liech state information minister, Lam Tangwar, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that fighting took place when government troops blocked a group of opposition forces who were trying to bring their wounded soldiers to Bentiu UN Protection of Civilians’ site (PoC) for treatment.

Tanguar alleged that government forces have retaken all the areas occupied by opposition forces last week. He said the civilians living in those areas are now in dire humanitarian conditions.

However, the state minister was not able to provide details of the casualties during the clash.