Rebel forces from the SPLA-IO claimed on Wednesday that they had captured the strategic town of Waat, the administrative center of Nyirol County in Jonglei State, following heavy clashes with government troops.

The opposition group, led by First Vice President Riek Machar, said its fighters overwhelmed a garrison of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and released social media videos showing jubilant soldiers posing with seized military hardware.

SPLA-IO officials described the takeover as a direct response to repeated government assaults on their positions. Spokesperson Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor said that SSPDF troops first attacked an opposition base on Tuesday during a local cultural event in Weideng, then launched another assault on the SPLA-IO headquarters in Panyim early Wednesday.

In the ensuing counteroffensive, opposition forces chased the government troops back to Waat and seized full control of the town. They reported capturing three tanks, 51 assault rifles, and the garrison commander, Brig. Gen. Kuot Atem.

The SPLA-IO claimed to have killed at least 37 government soldiers (with some accounts citing fewer) while suffering only one fatality on their side. The opposition’s appointed county commissioner, Peter Gatkuoth Koang, said he personally repelled Tuesday’s initial attack and warned civilians to evacuate Waat before Wednesday’s push.

He claimed to be speaking from inside the newly captured garrison. SPLA-IO units are reportedly pursuing retreating government forces, and the area remains volatile with reports of continued artillery fire nearby.

The SSPDF has not issued any official response to the claims. A local official in neighboring Uror County confirmed hearing intense gunfire from Waat and said the town is now under opposition control.

Despite the 2018 peace deal that ended South Sudan’s devastating five-year civil war, intermittent fighting between the signatory factions persists, particularly in restive regions like Jonglei State.