169 people were killed after insurgents raid a village in a remote area of South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — At least 169 people were killed after insurgents raided a village in a remote area of South Sudan, a local official said Monday.
The victims, including 90 civilians, were attacked on Sunday in Abiemnom county, said James Monyluak, information minister for the administrative area of Ruweng.
The U.N. Mission in South Sudan said in a statement that 1,000 people sought shelter with its base there after the attack.
The killings are part of an escalating wave of violence gripping South Sudan as government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battle armed men who are believed to be loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar.
Machar was Kiir’s deputy until September, when he was removed after he faced criminal charges. He is under house arrest in Juba, the South Sudan capital, as his trial progresses.