Infant wounded by stray bullet in Malakal

An infant at the UN Protection of Civilians site in Malakal was injured by a stray bullet during fighting when the town changed hands over the weekend.

An infant at the UN Protection of Civilians site in Malakal was injured by a stray bullet during fighting when the town changed hands over the weekend.

Joe Contreras, acting spokesman of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told Radio Tamazuj that some mortar rounds also landed near their base in Malakal.

“Some mortar rounds landed near the UNMISS compound outside Malakal Town during the height of the fighting on Saturday, 27 June and some stray bullets entered the Mission’s protection-of-civilians site, wounding one infant in the leg,” he said.

The UNMISS spokesman noted that the perimeter of the Mission compound is still secure.

Malakal was attacked by opposition forces on Saturday evening. Fighting continued throughout the night.

IDPs in Malakal yesterday reported sporadic gunfire throughout the day on Sunday. SPLA-IO rebels claim to have taken control of the entire town in a joint operation with Aguelek militia loyal to General Johnson Olony.

On the other side the Upper Nile State Minister of Information Peter Galuak told Al Mawgif newspaper in Juba that government forces still are contesting a northern part of the city, while admitting that th rebels overran the southern part of Malakal and the city center and the airport.