Shelling by South Sudanese rebel forces has killed eight people and wounded 20 others in Renk, the northernmost town in the country.
Forces loyal to South Sudan’s former vice president Riek Machar were reported to have attacked the town starting late afternoon or early evening on Wednesday.
It is still not clear how close the clashes came to the town and how many troops were involved. Fear of a rebel advance into the town caused most of the civilians to flee.
Renk Commisioner Kur Chuai told Radio Tamazuj that the rebels bombarded the town from Manyo County, dispersing the civil population to areas outside the town.
He claimed the bombardment came across the Nile River from Manyo County, which lies on the west bank of the Nile opposite Renk. He said the rebels were using a type of weapon called 120 mm.
Among the eight killed were three children and three women, the commissioner said.
He stated that the town population escaped to outlying areas. But he emphasized that the bombardment was just aimed at terrorizing people, claiming the security situation was fine, the market was open and the area was calm.
He said that an SPLA deputy division commander was in the area to coordinate the defense of the town.
Radio Tamazuj learnt that shelling resumed later in the day on Thursday, after the commissioner’s remarks the same morning.
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