Rebels of sacked vice president Riek Machar of the SPLA-IO have seized Kuek Town of Upper Nile after engaging government soldiers for over 30 hours, the rebel movement military spokesperson Brig Gen William Gatjiath Deng says.

According to Brig Gen Deng, government forces had provoked a war by launching an attack on SPLA-IO stronghold of Kola.

The ensuing fighting around Kuek, the east and west parts of the Upper Nile, lasted three days.

Brig Gen Deng is quoted by the South Sudan News Agency as saying, “In response to this aggression and in an act of self-defence, the gallant SPLA-IO forces, under Lt Gen Johnson Olony, Sector One Commander, fiercely engaged the aggressors killing more than 130 on the spot. The fighting continued into Kola which is now fully under SPLA-IO control.”

Deng added that SPLA-IO rebels had also seized weapons from government soldiers and these included: three tanks, two land cruisers mounted with 12.7 mm AA machine guns, 24 Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG-7) launchers, 30 PKM and over 388 AK-47 rifles.