National Salvation Front (NAS) Spokesperson Suba Samuel claimed that their “Special Forces” conducted a reconnaissance mission in Juba, igniting an army ammunition store before making their getaway.
A fire erupted at an ammunition depot at Juba’s Giyada military barrack early morning of Sunday, injuring at least eight people, according to the army.
The inferno triggered loud explosions that caused fear and panic among the capital city’s residents.
Speaking to South Sudanese broadcaster Radio Tamazuj on Sunday evening, Suba refuted a statement by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) Spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang, who attributed the fire to heat in Juba.
“Our Special Forces, while conducting a reconnaissance in Juba, discovered the ammunition store at Giyada, where the on-duty soldiers were intoxicated,” Suba said. ” “We identified security deficiencies at the location, facilitating the execution of our operation.”
Suba said that the intoxicated state of the soldiers on duty presented an opportunity for their mission. “Our forces were aware of the ammunition store’s vulnerability, prompting our attack. We want to tell the public that our forces were responsible for the operation,” he stated.
The NAS spokesman noted, “The SSPDF soldiers’ intoxication hindered their ability to monitor the ammunition store adequately. This is why the army spokesperson’s claim of the explosion being solely due to heat in Juba is inaccurate.”
“The government of Salva Kiir is not genuinely interested in peace talks. Their focus appears to be on instigating violence. However, we want to assure the people that his attempts to cause unrest will not succeed,” he added.
For his part, the SSPDF Spokesperson, Major General Lul Ruai Koang, attributed the fire to heat in Juba, refuting any engagement in combat and insisting it was solely an explosion.
According to Maj. Gen. Lul, the injured in the incident included a six-month-old baby and a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage due to the incident.
Radio Tamazuj, however, could not independently verify the ammuniation story incident.
