Juba-Nimule highway (Photo: courtesy).

Several people are feared dead after unknown gunmen ambushed passenger buses along the Juba-Nimule Road on Monday, the eyewitness has said.

The incident reportedly occurred near the Nesitu checkpoint.

According to eyewitness Majok Arou, a Bongo bus and other vehicles traveling from Juba to Nimule came under attack by unknown gunmen.

Majok, who was traveling in the Bongo Bus said, the attackers used AK-47s and machine guns in the attack.

“It was an ambush. We were traveling in 2 Bongo buses and many other vehicles, the attackers used rifles like Ak-47, PKM, and other automatic rifles,” he said.

“They ambushed our vehicle but the driver drove over us while they were shooting at us. They fired at the vehicle until it overturned, injuring several of its passengers.”

The witness, who has poor eyesight says during the ambush, passengers scattered to the nearby bushes, leaving some injured in the vehicles.

“I was left in the vehicle because I’m sick and can’t see well, so people scattered into the nearby bushes and I stayed inside the car with the wounded and others feared dead.”

“The rescue team came with a military tank and rescued a number of people. The injured were found outside the vehicle, and we could not count the wounded and the dead because a number of people fled into the bushes and were shot there. So I found five people in the car and I do not know if they were dead or wounded.

When contacted, the police spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin confirmed the attack.

However, he could not state the number of causalities, saying security forces deployed to the scene are yet gathering information.

“We can confirm the attack and our forces are rushing there to contain the situation. We haven’t got the full details of the attack, give us some time, and then we’ll tell you,” General Daniel Justin told Eye Radio on Monday morning.

NOTE: This is a developing story, and it is being updated accordingly.