December 5th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of the country’s former First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon said on Tuesday that clashes which took place the same day morning few kilometers outside Bentiu, Unity State’s capital, were spearheaded by government militia commander Gen. Dor Manjur Gatluak.
Gen. Manjur is a notorious militia commander allied to the country’s First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon by the SPLA-IO’s official spokesman Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng, the group said government troops led by Gen. Dor Manjur Gatluak had attacked the SPLA-IO base in Biel of Guit county.
“Today this morning at 7:30 AM, government forces under the notorious General Dor Manjur Gatluak attacked the known SPLA (IO) cantonment at Biel Payam in Guit County, Lich State,” the statement by the rebel spokesman seen by the Nyamilepedia partly read.
The statement which referred to the fighting as “fierce” said the opposition commissioner of Guit County responded with a more excessive force and was able to repulse the attackers to their base in Kuergeng.
“The SPLM/A-IO forces under Guit County Commissioner Col. Mawich Dobuol Nger responded the attack more excessively and repulsed the notorious militia forces toward Kuergeng,” the statement said.
The statement said the fighting which lasted for about two hours resulted into the death of fifteen (15) government soldiers and two (2) from the side of the SPLA-IO in addition to three other wounded soldiers from the side of the SPLA-IO.
“It was a fierce battle that lasted for two hours, in the action, (15) militia soldiers were found exposed on the sun and two soldiers killed at the side of (SPLA-IO) plus (3) wounded soldiers with a minor injury,” he further said in the statement.