Rebel group says to have destroyed and captured SPLA tanks, vows to prove its claim

SSLA FORCES DESTROYED ISRAELI MADE TANKS AND CAPTURED ONE IN GOOD CONDITION

March 30, 2012 (SSNA) — The gallant forces of SSLA, under the command of fierce generals Kolchara Nyang and Mathews Pul Jang, defeated the SPLA forces in a battle that took place on March, 30, 2012. After SSLA captured Lalop town on Tuesday, March, 27, the SPLA army launched an offensive to recapture the lost town. The SPLA forces were composed of 6,000 soldiers commanded by Deputy Chief-of-staff for Administration, Lt. Gen Pieng Deng Majiok, Deputy Chief-of-staff for Political Orientation, Lt. Gen. Obuto Mamuor Mete, Unity State Divisional Commander, Maj. Gen. James Gatduel Gatluak and Lakes State Divisional Commander, Major Gen. Bol Kong.

The SPLA forces attacked SSLA’s position at 11am Friday and the battle lasted until 5:30pm. Our forces destroyed three Israeli made Merkava Mark IV tanks and captured one in good condition. The Merkava Mark IV captured in good condition was made in 1989 by Israeli Defense Force and its main armament is 120 mm MG253 smoothbore gun and its secondary armament is 12.7 mm MG. The tank carries the Israeli Elbit Systems BMS (Battle Management System).

The SSLA will soon release the picture of Merkava Mark IV captured as a proof to the whole world that Israel armed Salva Kiir’s regime to kill its own people. The SSLM/A, after destroying three Israeli made tanks, realized that the state of Israel was deceived by Kiir’s tribal government because of geopolitical game between Arabs and the State of Israel. Unfortunately, the Israeli tanks are now being used against South Sudanese fighting against tribal apartheid and dictatorship. The state of Israel might have acted emotionally in supporting the SPLA army without realizing that Dinka’s domination caused the ongoing civil war in South Sudan. Israel would now realize that its investment in South Sudan by arming one tribe to fight sixty two tribes would end in catastrophe. The cost of three Merkava tanks the SSLA destroyed is $18 million dollars. When the cost of the captured one is added, the cost of four is $24 million dollars.

Our gallant forces, after humiliating four SPLA generals, would keep matching to liberate South Sudan from the grip of tribal domination and would soon bring Bentiu town under its control. Our message to state of Israel is to stay away and stop meddling in the affairs of South Sudan by supporting one tribe to dominate others. South Sudan is composed of sixty three ethnic groups and Dinka tribe is composed of 25% of the population. The people of South Sudan have rejected tribal domination of Salva Kiir and have decided that the only salvation would come from the barrel of the gun.

The SSLA forces counted hundreds of dead bodies of the SPLA on the ground and captured twenty four SPLA soldiers alive and a lot of military equipment ranging from AK-47s to RPG-7. SSLA forces lost only fifteen martyrs and twenty four wounded. On Saturday, March, 31^st, the SSLA operational commanders, Maj. Gen. Kolchara Nyang and Maj. Gen. Pul Jang, will launch an offensive towards Bentiu town.

The SSLA is once again alerting the NGOs, UN personnel and civilians to evacuate the city for their own safety. The civilians and UN personnel should bear in mind that the SPLA army most of the times uses civilians as human shields. It is in the best interest of civilians and UN personnel to prioritize safety and evacuate the town until it’s liberated from Salva Kiir and Taban Deng Gai. SSLA forces would not be responsible for hardship that individuals who fail to evacuate will go through if it happens that the SPLA forces protecting criminal Governor Taban Deng Gai use civilians as human shields in the town to create some sort of urban warfare.