Residents of Nasir town in Upper Nile State were thrown into panic on Wednesday night after a brief but alarming shelling incident, reportedly triggered by a drunken soldier.
The incident has further heightened tensions in the area, which has been struggling to recover from violent clashes last week between armed local youth and members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
Those clashes, which began on Friday and continued into Saturday, left at least five people dead and 13 others injured, prompting civilians to flee the town.
Nasir County Commissioner Gatluak Lew Thip confirmed the shelling to Radio Tamazuj, describing it as unintended but deeply unsettling for residents.
“On Wednesday at 8 pm, there was shelling in Nasir town which lasted just three minutes. Civilians who had started returning to the town in recent days were forced to flee again,” he said.
Commissioner Gatluak explained that the SSPDF commander had contacted him following the incident, attributing the shelling to a soldier who was under the influence of alcohol.
“The commander assured me that the shelling was accidental and caused by a drunken soldier,” Gatluak said.
Despite the explanation, the incident has exacerbated fears among residents, particularly as SSPDF forces have been moving into the area.
According to Gatluak, troops are being transported from Malakal to Nasir on barges to replace existing forces, a development that has fueled speculation and anxiety among civilians.
“The residents thought the shelling might have been intended to chase them out of the town because of the new deployment,” he added.
Efforts to reach SSPDF commander David Majur for further comment were unsuccessful.
The situation in Nasir remains fragile, with an uneasy calm prevailing.