The death toll from airstrikes by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) on a market in Lankien town, Nyirol County, Jonglei State, has risen to 11, with five others still missing since 29 December 2025, local officials said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor, spokesperson for the opposition SPLA-IO in Jonglei State, said Monday’s airstrike on the civilian market in the town of Lankien, which is under SPLA-IO control, had initially killed nine people. He added that five more individuals are still missing.
“When airstrikes occurred on Monday, we counted nine dismembered bodies. However, about five people are still missing and are feared to be buried under heaps of soil caused by the bombs,” he said. “Twelve people are currently hospitalized at an MSF facility in Lankien. The injured were initially 14, but two later died.”
Lt. Col. Mabor said the situation has remained relatively calm since Tuesday, and the SPLA-IO is ready to respond to any attack by the SSPDF, following its order for civilians to vacate SPLA-IO-controlled areas.
John Both, a clergyman with the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS) in Lankien, described the situation as dire.
“The area targeted by the airstrikes is just near the airstrip where our church is located. We were holding prayers and preparing for the New Year when the airstrikes occurred,” John told Radio Tamazuj.
“Nine bodies were dismembered in our presence on Monday, and 14 people were injured,” he said. “Several people were buried under the ground by the airstrikes. Their number is unknown.”
Reverend Both expressed the church’s disappointment in the renewed violence between the SSPDF and the opposition SPLA-IO and called for restraint and respect for civilian life.
Northern Jonglei has witnessed a sharp rise in hostilities in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the SSPDF ordered civilians to immediately leave areas controlled by the SPLA-IO in northern Jonglei State, citing security concerns. The army said civilians should evacuate locations near military barracks, assembly points, and rally sites to avoid being caught in combat operations.
The directive applies to residents of the predominantly Lou Nuer counties of Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo, the statement said.