2 UN peacekeepers killed in an ambush in South Sudan

In this Sunday, June 18, 2017 file photo, peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provide security during a visit of UNCHR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi to the U.N. Protection of Civilians camp in Bentiu, South Sudan. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File) By DENG MACHOL Updated 5:06 PM MESZ, August 24, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed on Monday when armed men ambushed a patrol traveling to a remote area of South Sudan, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Others injured in the attack by unidentified people included three peacekeepers, two members of the South Sudanese police and two civilian staff of the mission, UNMISS said in a statement. The mission said it had deployed a “Quick Reaction Force” to secure the area and support the emergency response after the attack. The patrol was going to the area of Pajut in the state of Jonglei when it came under attack. “Such deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel who are serving to support peace in South Sudan is unacceptable,” Anita Kiki Gbeho, the head of UNMISS, said in the statement. The identities and nationalities of the two peacekeepers killed were not immediately disclosed. Violence is rampant in South Sudan, where government troops have been combating fighters and militias loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, who was suspended last year as vice president after he faced charges of treason and other offenses he says are politically motivated. Attacks against peacekeepers are rare. A 2018 peace deal between President Salva Kiir and Machar, who is under house arrest, has collapsed, leading to fears of a return to full-blown civil war. Deadly attacks on aid workers and contractors surge in South Sudan as UN urges protection 2 MIN READ Turkey wants to join a new Lebanon security initiative after UN mission ends 2 MIN READ UNESCO adds France’s D-Day landing beaches, Greece’s Mount Olympus to World Heritage List 2 MIN READ More than 450 incidents of violence against humanitarian workers and assets were reported between January and July, more than double the number recorded during the same period last year, according to U.N. figures. The conflict escalated in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei. The government has conducted a counteroffensive since January with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement. The U.S. has urged talks between Kiir and Machar. Earlier this year it called for “urgent action to uphold peace and mitigate the risk of civil war through an immediate return to dialogue among the parties to the 2018 peace agreement.”