Two UN peacekeepers were killed and seven others wounded when their patrol was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in South Sudan's Jonglei state on Monday, the UN mission in the country announced.
The patrol was heading toward the town of Pajut when it came under attack. Among the wounded were three peacekeepers, two South Sudan National Police Service officers, and two civilian staff members. The mission, known as UNMISS, deployed a quick reaction force to the area and has not disclosed the nationalities of those killed.
Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of UNMISS, condemned the attack, which the mission noted could constitute a war crime. Violence in Jonglei intensified in late 2025, prompting South Sudan's military to demand that the UN and aid groups withdraw from the region. More than 160 UNMISS personnel have died since the mission was established in July 2011.