Juba: At least 48 people were killed and more than 152 injured in clashes between South Sudan's army and opposition forces in a northeastern border town, local media reported on Sunday, citing the state governor. The violence erupted when forces from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) attacked a base of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Burebiey, a town along the South Sudan-Ethiopia border in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, Governor James Koang told local outlet Eye Radio.

According to Anadolu Agency, the governor reported that over 48 members of the SPLM-IO and the allied White Army militia were killed and more than 148 injured, while the SSPDF sustained no fatalities, with only four soldiers wounded. Governor Koang has called for calm and urged the opposition forces to cease attacks on SSPDF, emphasizing a preference for dialogue: 'We are for peace, and if anyone wants to talk to us, we are available,' he stated.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has faced ongoing conflict, descending into civil war two years later. The 2018 peace agreement's implementation has been sluggish, and tensions have escalated following deadly clashes in Nasir County, involving the White Army, believed to be allied with First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM-IO, and the SSPDF.

In March, President Salva Kiir Mayardit placed Machar and his group under house arrest after deadly confrontations between the White Army rebel group and government forces in Upper Nile state. On September 11, Kiir suspended Machar and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, with the justice minister charging them with multiple crimes, including treason and murder.