Gunfire hit three US military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that today became a battle ground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. Four US service members were wounded in the attack in the same region where gunfire downed a UN helicopter the day before.
The US military aircraft were about to land in Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and scene of some of the nation's worst violence over the last week, when they were hit. The military said the four wounded troops were in stable condition.
The US military said three CV-22 Ospreys, the kind of aircraft that can fly like a helicopter and plane, were "participating in a mission to evacuate American citizens in Bor." A South Sudan official said violence against civilians there has resulted in bodies "sprinkled all over town."
"After receiving fire from the ground while approaching the site, the aircraft diverted to an airfield outside the country and aborted the mission," the statement said. "The injured troops are being treated for their wounds." It was not known how many US civilians are in Bor.
After the aircraft took incoming fire, they turned around and flew to Entebbe, Uganda. From there the service members were flown to Nairobi, Kenya aboard a US Air Force C-17 for medical treatment, the statement said.
An official in the region who insisted on anonymity to share information not made public said the Americans did not tell the top commander in Bor Gen Peter Gadet, who defected from the South Sudan military this week, that they were coming in, which may have led to the attack. The US statements said the gunfire was from unknown forces.
South Sudan's military spokesman, Col Philip Aguer, said that government troops are not in control of Bor, so the attack on the US aircraft has to be blamed on renegade soldiers.
"Bor is under the control of the forces of Riek Machar," Aguer said.
The US aircraft was hit one day after small arms fire downed a UN helicopter in the same state.
Rob McKee, operations manager for Warrior Security, a South Sudan security company, said the UN helicopter made an emergency landing while trying to evacuate personnel from a base in Yuai, Jonglei state. A second official who insisted on anonymity because the information hasn't been released said the helicopter was abandoned and remains unable to fly. No injuries were reported.
