Reports from South Sudan indicate that a bus was hijacked today, September 24, 2024, by unidentified assassins who subsequently set it on fire.
Sources reaching this publication Ugandanewsline.com indicate that 15 individuals are feared to have lost their lives, while the rest are reportedly missing.
The spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), General Lul Ruai Koang, confirmed the incident.
He reported that unidentified gunmen attacked an interstate passenger bus on the Juba-Nimule Highway on Tuesday morning, resulting in the vehicle being set ablaze and numerous fatalities among the passengers, including military personnel.
The bus, operated by Babeto Coach Services registration number SSD 089Z, was ambushed near Lakarakak.
It was en route from Juba to Kampala when it encountered the ambush between Nyerjebe and Kubi.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, he mentioned that the forces managed to drive off the assailants, but the exact number of casualties remains unverified.
“Yes, I have received that information from the operations department but we lack more information on the number of casualties inflicted on the passengers as well as the identity of the attackers,” he said in an interview.
He said the operations department has already sent the location to evaluate the situation.
Maj. David Khasmiro, the Inspector of Police in Nimule Town Council, also verified the occurrence but indicated that further information is still being collected.
The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has denounced the assault on the bus and urged the South Sudan Government to mobilise forces to always ensure the safety of travelers.
This incident is part of a broader pattern, as comparable attacks on buses took place in 2020 and 2022 along the Nimule-Juba Highway.
