FILE PHOTO: SSPDF Spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang in an interview with to Eye Radio in Bilpam. May 15, 2024. (Photo: Lou Nelson).

The SSPDF spokesperson confirmed that 13 soldiers were among 17 killed in Wednesday’s heavy fighting in Nasir County, which according to him, has no political connection and was triggered by an “adulterous” relationship.

Major General Lul Ruai said the intense violence revolved around a married woman who allegedly engaged in a relationship outside of marriage with one of two SSPDF servicemen.

General Lul said further details are yet to be established, but added an investigation is ongoing to examine how the matter escalated into armed confrontations that left more than a dozen dead.

“The lady is said to have got into adulterous relationship while being somebody’s wife. And both men are from SSPDF,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“So an investigation will be conducted on how, what had started using legal procedures degenerated into arms confrontations that ended up killing so many people.”

The SSPDF spokesperson said that the deadly fighting in Nasir is isolated and not related to the volatile political situation in the area.

Rather, he said the latest violence stemmed from the personal relationship and conflicts involving these individuals.

“The crisis in Nasir has no political connections. They were purely as a result of an adulterous relationship between a married woman and involved two servicemen.”

“So it is a love triangle that’s a terrible way around. There was no political connection. It was purely social or criminal offense between two or three individuals that were in a relationship with this woman.”

Oh, his part, the Commissioner of Nasir County James Gatluak said the security situation is calm but threatening.

“Yeah, although the security situation remains calm, it is threatening. We did not hear any shelling today from the SSPDF.”

Politically motivated violence between the army and local youth has been rampant in the area this year – a situation blamed on the stalled unifications of forces stipulated in the security arrangement.

In July, series of violent clashes started between the army and local youth in Nasir County after an SSPDF soldier was shot while attempting to collect sand from a river.

In a separate incident shortly thereafter, an ambush carried out by unidentified gunmen targeted three officers from the SSPDF who were returning to their barracks.