Crown bus, one of the PSV traveling to Juba yesterday, is seen stuck in a road side ditch after it tried to veer off the road during the attack. PHOTO//Chanika Jubenika

At least fourteen people, including a senior SPLA officer, were killed and nine others injured in the attack on a convoy on the Nimule-Juba road yesterday, the police spokesperson has said.

Among the civilians killed is a mother and child.

Assailants attacked a convoy of 30 cars coming to Juba from the border town of Nimule.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Daniel Justin said the military escorts, and commercial buses were shot at by the armed men on Thursday morning.

“The convoy of vehicles heading from Nimule to Juba fell into an ambush,” Brig. Justin said.

The police believes the attackers were targeting the escorts vehicles that had police and SPLA personnel.

Brigadier Justin told Eye Radio that a senior military officers was among those killed in the ambush. He could not reveal the name of the deceased.

“They were 14 in number; 4 civilians and 10 soldiers,” he said, “9 got injured.”

Two land-cruisers belonging to the organized forces providing the escort were burnt in the process.

Some of the passengers wounded were returned to Nimule, while others proceeded to Juba for further treatment.

Most of the civilian travelers were returning back to their families from Kampala, Uganda. Five Ugandan nationals are reported to have been among the dead.

An eyewitness, Chanika Jubenika, who was traveling in a separate convoy leaving Juba for Nimule on the same day described a dark scene when they arrived at the site of the incident.

“When we arrived at the ambush scene, vehicles and bodies were still burning, all along the scene littered with bodies and others charred beyond recognition. Many vehicles swayed into the surrounding bushes,others hitting trees,” he recounted.

“The only vehicle that survived the ambush was crown bus that tried to turn,unfortunately the rear tyres went into a deep ditch. It seems all the occupants evacuated and took off on foot for their lives” Chanika added.

Since last, the South Sudan security forces have been providing military escorts to public transport buses frequenting the Juba -Nimule highway, after reports of increased attacks on travelers by armed men.

Last year, a bus belonging to Eco bus company and a fuel tanker were burnt, while buses belonging to Friendship and Gateway Companies were shot at by armed men. There have also been small incidences of small passenger mini-buses such as Hiace being attacked on the same route.

Traders have often blamed skyrocketing prices in the country to their inability to import goods due to security uncertainties on the South Sudan – Uganda’s main route.

In October last year, a meeting between South Sudan’s former Police Inspector, General Makur Marol Aduot and his Ugandan counterpart, General Kale Kayihura agreed to form a joint police force to restore security along the Juba-Nimule road, and along the Juba-Oraba road, which goes through Yei.

The meeting also discussed the establishment of a task-force to respond to critical security challenges and to pursue criminal gangs along the road.

However, travelers have not seen the presence of Uganda security personnel patrolling the Juba – Nimule highway.