Juba-Nimule highway (Photo: courtesy).

Two people are confirmed dead and eleven others are being treated for minor injuries at Juba Teaching Hospital – following the road ambush at Jebelen area on Monday, health authorities said.

Dr. Anthony Lupai reported that three of the injured are women and are being treated at the main hospital in Juba.

“A number of causalities were brought to the hospital, according to a report given to me, two people are dead and then we have 11 getting treatment in the hospital with minor injures except one who is admitted to the ward,” Lupai said to Eye Radio.

Earlier in the day, a survivor told Eye Radio that a convoy of buses and other vehicles traveling from Juba to Nimule came under an attack by unknown gunmen – a few kilometers away from the Nesitu area.

Majok Arou, who was traveling in one of the buses said the attackers used AK-47s and machine guns to shoot at the passenger vehicles.

“It was a big 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 fired at the vehicle until it overturned, injuring several of its passengers. 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.”

Majok says passengers fled in disarray into the nearby bushes, leaving some injured in the vehicles.

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

But he could not specify the number of causalities, saying security forces were deployed to the scene to gather 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.”