Heavy gunfire heard in South Sudan capital

Juba - Heavy gunfire erupted overnight in South Sudan's capital Juba, embassies and witnesses said, saying the fighting appeared to have broken out in a barracks close to the city centre.

Statements from the US and British embassies in Juba urged their nationals to avoid unnecessary movements. The US embassy said there were "reports from multiple reliable sources of ongoing security incidents and sporadic gunfire in multiple locations across Juba".

The South Sudan Tribune  however says the gunfire was caused by fighting between guards of South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir.

“Military sources said the clashes between the Tiger special force occurred when one group predominantly of Nuer was suspicious in the deployments of the other group dominated by the Dinka, further turning the arguments into deadly clashes,” the Tribune says.