Many residents in the towns of Kajo Keji, Lainya and Yei have moved outside the towns to nearby villages fearing attack.
Several people interviewed by Radio Tamazuj throughout Monday in the three counties said children, women and the elderly Monday morning until evening were seen moving away from the towns.
The residents were carrying along with them their belongings, an eyewitness in Yei Municipality said. The eyewitness said the town of Yei in the evening was empty with only youths seen along the streets and businesses remained closed for the day.
Shops and markets remained closed in Yei and schoolchildren returned home to join their families to flee to the villages, the eyewitness explained.
In Lainya, internally displaced persons from Wonduruba who were sheltering in Lainya said they are again displaced from their IDP camp in Lainya to the bush.
Government officials contacted for comment on why shops, schools remained closed and people had fled the town said there is no cause for the public to panic and leave for villages.
“Yei River State as a whole is normal; the security situation is okay with exception of the attack that happened in Lainya County but the attackers were repulsed,” the state minister Steven Ladu said.
He explained Lainya County was attacked Monday morning at around eight. Ladu also said rebels attacked Kajo Keji County on Monday morning at around seven. The minister said there were no casualties reported at present.
The minister said that residents in Kajo Keji are also fearing and fleeing to the bushes. He urged the population of the state to remain calm, claiming that there is nothing wrong. He advised fleeing residents to return to their homes
Yei River State is an administrative area created by President Salva Kiir within the territory of Central Equatoria State, one of the ten states created by South Sudan’s constitution of 2011.