SSPDF Helicopter [Photo: courtesy]

The Minister of Information in Warrap State has confirmed that the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) carried out airstrikes in parts of the state on Thursday morning.

Mamer Bak told Eye Radio the strikes targeted Tonj North and Gogrial East counties.

He said the airstrikes were meant to reduce tensions after armed youth from the two areas were seen mobilizing to launch attacks.

Bak explained that the state government requested the national army to intervene.

The aim was to intimidate armed youth and stop ongoing communal violence.

“I can confirm to you, that kind of move happened this morning. It is like there was abnormal movement of the armed youths moving toward another section. Then from there, the military helicopter shoots and that was like intimidation, like trying to terrify them not to move again,” he told Eye Radio.

“So, there was not an intention to kill. It was just trying to stop them, to stop them moving toward another section, another place,” he added.

He said the bombardments were not meant to kill but to stop the movement of armed youth between communities.

One elderly man was injured during the incident but no deaths were reported, Bak said.

He added that the absence of government security forces on the ground led the state government to ask the national army to step in.

“So, as such, we have… we called the national government to intervene to stop all this conflicts or redirect confrontation between section and section, between community and other communities. So, it was a request from us as a state government to do so. Just that to intimidate these armed youths, not to move from one place to another, attacking certain communities,” he said.

The airstrike came after deadly intercommunal violence in Tonj East that killed more than 60 people and displaced thousands of households.

The fighting between the communities of Luacjang and Jal-wau last week also led to the destruction of property.