Government forces raped women and killed civilians in attacks in Unity State between April and June, according to a new report by the Human Rights Watch.

The report says some people were hanged, shot or burned alive.

The group says it interviewed more than 170 survivors and witnesses, who gave shocking accounts of the killing of 60 civilians.

Human Rights Watch spoke to people from more than 25 villages or settlements who said government forces and aligned militia had deliberately burned their villages to the ground, in whole or in part.

“Government-aligned forces carried out gruesome killings and widespread rapes and burned countless homes as they swept across large parts of Unity State,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

“The devastating offensive in Unity State is the latest in a conflict characterized by shocking disregard for civilian life.”

In April 2015, government forces launched an offensive to recapture some Opposition-held towns in Unity State, the report reads.

The military campaign by the SPLA and allied militia has displaced at least 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.

The HRW report comes almost a month after the UN reported about the similar human rights violations and abuse.

In response, SPLA rejected the UN report. It challenged the rights groups to investigate the alleged crimes.

“SPLA is ready to go for investigation of any complaint,” Col Philip Aguer said, “if there is any violation committed by the SPLA forces, we can send a team to go with those who are raising the complaint, and those who are writing.”

Human Rights Watch documented 63 cases of rape, including gang rapes and cases in which women were raped by multiple fighters.

“Government soldiers and Bul Nuer fighters frequently beat women, sometimes repeatedly, and threatened them with death,” reads the report.

Many women and children were forced to porter pillaged property back to the Bul Nuer homeland, sometimes for days. Other women and girls were abducted, themselves taken as property.

The government is yet to respond to the HRW report.