South Sudanese rebels loyal to SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar carried out an attack on Wednesday night near the border of Western Bahr al Ghazal State, according to a local official.

“There was an attack yesterday at around 10:00 at night on Sere Malaga area,” said County Commissioner James Benjamin, referring to an SPLA position along the border with the disputed Kafia Kinji area, which Sudan claims as part of South Darfur state.

The county commissioner told Radio Tamazuj that the attackers had come from Sudan. He said SPLA forces captured four rebel soldiers and some weapons. “The county is secure and stable,” he said.

Likewise, a rebel source claimed that their forces had carried out an attack in Raja County.

Last month the UN Secretary-General disclosed in a report that dozens of troops defected from an army base in Western Bahr al Ghazal near the Sudanese border, linking the group of defectors to several murderous attacks in the county including an ambush in which several journalists were killed.

“Reports indicate that in early January, approximately 30 Nuer soldiers deserted from SPLA at Boro Medina and Raga towns in Raga County. The group has been blamed for four ambushes that took place between 15 and 25 January, resulting, inter alia, in the injury of the Raga County Commissioner and up to 11 people killed,” the UN reported.

Other local officials have blamed these same attacks on the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Related:

Raja authorities step up security after deadly ambush (5 Feb.)

Four government journalists killed in ambush in South Sudan (26 Jan.)

Ambush on soldiers in W Bahr el Ghazal blamed on LRA (23 Jan.)