SPLM-IO troops commanded by Gen. Patrick Ohiti were attacked at their positions by government forces in Lolere area along the Torit-Magwi road in South Sudan’s Imatong State on Tuesday, their military spokesman claimed yesterday.
SPLA-IO military spokesman Colonel William Gatjiath said in a statement seen by Radio Tamazuj that the government attacked their troops at Lolere area yesterday but they were repulsed and pursued back to Cholore area on the outskirts of Torit town.
Gatjiath who is based at the rebel headquarters in Pagak claimed that they killed about 20 SPLA soldiers and captured some military equipment during clashes between the two sides.
For his part, Santo Domic, deputy spokesman of the SPLA forces in Juba, confirmed the incident, saying the clashes erupted between the two forces near a bridge at Lolere area which is not far from Torit town.
Santo denied claims that the SPLA-IO killed about 20 government soldiers during the clashes. “The fighting didn’t last for a long period of time, there were clashes and none of our forces was killed, even from their side, nobody was killed, but they ran away,” he said.
According to the SPLA deputy spokesman, the clashes were between their patrol unit and a group of rebels near Torit town.
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