October 16th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka said on Tuesday that its forces have defeated SPLA-IO forces whom he said had attacked them at a small village outside Yei town.
On Sunday, SPLA-IO and NAS forces clashed in Yei River state as well as in Western Bahr Al-Ghazal state with the SPLA-IO claiming the NAS had attacked them but said it had defeated the attacking NAS forces.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and seen by the Nyamilepedia, the NAS said it has defeated, in disarray, SPLA-IO forces who has been using a area there to wage offensives against their hideouts in Yei River State accusing it of looting and kidnapping civilians.
“Yesterday the 14th October 2018 SPLA IO bandits under the command of Col. Gadi attacked NAS small patrolling contingency force in Minyori Boma, Yei County. As a result, NAS force responded in self-defense and pursued the SPLA IO bandits into their operational base in disarray It is worth mentioning that, this SPLA IO bandit base has been used as a launching pad or hub for looting, kidnapping of civilian and NGOs staffs,” the statement signed by the group’s spokesman Suba Samuel Manase partly read.
The statement further hailed the role they play in which they helping some civilians detained by the SPLA-IO to escape while defeating Machar’s troops towards Yei town which is now controlled by troops belonging to the South Sudan government.
“The repulse of bandits in disarray helped some civilians who were under detention to escape and ran towards Yei town,” the statement added.
The group revealed that the commanding officer if the SPLA-IO forces in the area was responsible for kidnapping aid groups which international community said had hindered humanitarian access to areas populated by innocent civilians in the Central Equatoria state saying the SPLA-IO finally admitted that the detained aid workers were under their custody.
“In June 2018, Col. Gadi, kidnapped and detained 10 NGOs staffs including Vehicles. In the process the embattled SPLA IO Deputy Military Spokesman in matter of hours issued a different statement admitting that the missing NGOs staffs and the Vehicles are under their custody,” the statement added.
