Author: Obaj Okuj | Published: 52 minutes ago
SSPDF uniform displays the national flag patch – Photo credit: Getty Images
The Office of the Chief of Defence Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has confirmed that seven soldiers were killed on Tuesday in a drone attack by Sudanese forces at the Heglig oil field.
The attack follows the recent takeover of the oil zone by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) earlier this week.
According to Brigadier General Santo Domic, Executive Director in the Office of the Chief of Defence Force, Sudanese forces withdrew from the area, allowing SSPDF units to assume security of the Heglig oil field under a tripartite security agreement.
The deal mandated the withdrawal of RSF troops and assigned protection of the strategic oil installations to South Sudan’s army.
General Santo said the Sudanese Armed Forces carried out the drone strike targeting SSPDF positions in Heglig, along the border between the two countries.
He added that the attack destroyed a military vehicle equipped with a 12/10 gun and resulted in the loss of ten AK-47 rifles belonging to the fallen soldiers and other troops near the strike site.
“On December 9, a drone strike occurred in the Heglig area, launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces against our forces. The attack killed seven soldiers, destroyed a vehicle mounted with a 12/10 weapon, and we lost ten AK-47 rifles belonging to the soldiers who died and some who were near the strike site. This is clearly an ill-intentioned act by the Sudanese government,” he said in statement to SSBC on Wednesday (Dec. 10).
Gen. Santo said the attack came as a surprise, as SSPDF troops had been deployed to secure Heglig in line with the agreement, and RSF forces had already withdrawn from the area on December 8.
“We entered Heglig under an agreement. There was a slight presence of the Rapid Support Forces, but they withdrew on December 8. This is unfortunate news, but the remaining measures will be handled by the senior leadership of the government,” he added.
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