JUBA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Six bodyguards of South Sudanese Vice President, James Wani Igga, were killed during a road ambush on Wednesday, an official confirmed on Thursday.
Kalisto Lado, press secretary in the office of the vice president for the economic cluster in the unity government, said that National Salvation Front (NAS) forces ambushed and killed the bodyguards on the outskirts of the capital, Juba.
"The incident happened on Wednesday when the convoy was moving from the residence of the vice president to the nearest village called Karpeto," said Lado.
On their way the vehicle was ambushed by the NAS forces, six soldiers died, two others were wounded, and one was kidnapped, he added.
He said the vice president was not in the same convoy with the bodyguards and was safe from harm.
Lado said the government in Juba condemned the killings and called upon NAS forces to respect the cessation of hostilities deal signed in 2019 in Rome, Italy.
"The same opposition National Salvation Front forces on Thursday morning also killed one civilian that was coming from Agap to Yepa village. This brings the total of people killed by NAS forces to seven this week," said Lado.
NAS is a rebel group fighting against the government in Central and Western Equatoria regions.
NAS refused to sign the revitalized peace deal to end the more than five years of conflict, since the outbreak in December 2013, as it called for renegotiation of the peace pact to include a federal system of governance. Enditem
