Two civilians including a child were killed in Bentiu’s UN compound as fighting continued today in the Unity state capital.
The victims were struck by stray bullets while sheltering inside Bentiu’s UN base, where some 47,000 civilians have taken refuge from the war, a source told Radio Tamazuj.
“There’s active fighting going on in Bentiu,” the source said as of mid-morning Thursday. The source said that “no one’s in control” of Bentiu though it appears the SPLA-Juba has retained its hold on Rubkona and the airfield.
The source said six other civilians in the UN compound were injured by stray bullets during the fighting, and that a mortar landed inside the base’s Camp 4 but caused no injuries.
The source said the mortar was fired from the direction of the Rubkona airfield and it was unclear if it was a stray or targeted the UN compound. Much of the fighting has taken place “right outside [the base] on the main road,” the source said.
“I think it’s been rather frightening for the fighting to be so close to the base,” the source said, urging warring parties to move away from the civilian area.
The source said the clashes have forced flights in and out to a halt. The civilians sheltering at the UN depend entirely on humanitarian aid flown in each day for food and medicine.
Fighting has been taking place in or around Bentiu for the past three days. Heavy clashes took place inside the town yesterday and the SPLA-In Opposition declared victory. The SPLA-Juba disputed the claim.
File photo: Troops in Bentiu, January 2014 (Courtesy Photo/Radio Tamazuj)