JUBA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudan army on Friday confirmed that rebels led by a disgruntled former senior officer attacked its military outpost located on the outskirts of the capital on Thursday night.
Spokesperson Brig. Lul Ruai Koang of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) told journalists that forces led by Chan Garang, who defected in October last year, attacked a military outpost north of Kapur, located some 10 km from Juba town, but were repulsed.
"At about 10:30 p.m. last night, bandits under the direct command of Chan Garang attacked SPLA's position at Kapur. The attackers were repulsed and currently SPLA is in hot pursuit," Koang said in Juba.
The attackers first abducted an SPLA driver at gun point near the military facility, leading to the heavy fire exchange that left several rebels dead, he said, adding that AK47 rifles and PKM light machine guns were used in the fighting.
Koang said the rebels fled westward toward Omduruba, about 130 km west of Juba, and that Garang quit the army due to fear of reprimand for his past criminal record and declared allegiance to SPLA-in opposition (SPLA-IO), which is led by former first vice president Riek Machar.
"Today we are confirming that the same officer (Garang), who had defected from the SPLA some months back, is the one who launched the attacks last night on our defensive position," he said.
"It is not true that we had new defections and that they were getting out of Juba and as a result there was firing," Koang added.
Earlier, Garang had said he defected because he was unhappy with the manner in which the state had treated former SPLA Chief of General Staff Paul Malong, who was by then put under house arrest before being freed.
Koang also disclosed that they have intelligence that notorious militia commander Peter Gatdet Yak is plotting attacks on their positions at Mayom, Abiemnom and Thar-Wang-Yiele areas.
He said that the SPLA is on alert to foil any offensive by forces of Gatdet, who had been an ally of Machar before splitting from the main SPLA-IO rebel group some three years back.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political disputes between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to split within the SPLA, leaving soldiers to fight alongside ethnic lines.
A 2015 peace agreement to end the conflict was weakened after outbreak of renewed fighting in July 2016 caused SPLA-IO leader Machar to flee the capital.
