Egyptian troops fighting alongside the government caught in the battle of Ayod

JONGLEI - A dozen of Egyptian soldiers fighting alongside the government of South Sudan were caught yesterday in a fierce battle with the rebels' white army in Ayod, Jonglei State. Government forces last week managed to capture Ayod after outmuscling hundreds of white

army stationed in that strategic town of Jonglei. The government after overrunning the white army burned down the commissioner's office building, market complex and all the huts within the town.

The battle continued till yesterday when white army reinforcement from Duk came and chased the government, UPDF and Egyptian soldiers onwards to the sudd swamp. 400 of the government soldiers were found dead as well as 16 Egyptians and 4 UPDF forces. The white army said to have lost 90 people.

However, in the aftermath of the yesterday's assault by the white army, 12 Egyptians and 2 Ugandans who lost track of the direction of their forces were captured.

The Egyptians based on their names batches were:

1. Aches Ahmed Gou

2. Cpt. Abaur Ahmose

3. Amran Saleh

4. Amun Thori

5. Abduraman Petei

6. Salatis Omar

7. Osman Gosh

8. Abdulahi Said

9. Mohamed Raad

10. Yusuf Abdu

11. Cpt. Ali Semut

12. Shemstedin Tihrak

The two Ugandan soldiers were:

1. Akiki Lutalo

2. Samuel Munyiga

    The 14 were in the custody of the white army captains who promised to transfer them to Fangak as prisoners of war. But according to a white army soldier, Mabor Gatluak the Upper Nile Times spoke to, 10 government soldiers who were caught along with the above foreign troops were killed.

The presence of Egyptian soldiers adds to the battalions of Ugandan, JEM, and SPLM-N forces already fighting alongside the government.

Source: The Upper Nile Times