Over a dozen people have been killed and many injured in Sunday fighting between government and rebel forces in Guit County of Unity state.

SPLA spokesperson Col Philip Aguer told the Nation Mirror newspaper that that the SPLA lost five soldiers and the county commissioner was wounded in the fighting, in addition to rebel soldiers killed.

He accused the rebels of attacking government army positions and the civil administration headquarters at 4 am and said the clashes lasted until midday.

He said that the rebels raided cattle but were repulsed, adding that one civilian was also killed.

Aguer called up on the international community and IGAD monitors to visit the ground as soon as possible to verify the incident.

Meanwhile news reports quoted rebel leader Riek Machar's spokesperson James Gatdet Dak as saying that government forces came out from Unity state capital Bentiu town and attacked them in Guit.