South Sudan’s army conducted an air strike on Nasir town in Upper Nile State early Wednesday, according to a local official and a witness.
The attack critically wounded a child and injured a woman in the market and a residential area.
County commissioner James Gatluak reported the bombings began around 3:30 am local time.
This recent assault follows another air strike in Nasir earlier this week that reportedly killed 20 people.
Gatluak described the situation in Nasir, a stronghold of First Vice President Riek Machar’s supporters, as “deteriorating.”
Humanitarian staff have been evacuated due to the escalating violence in the region.
Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth stated the strikes were part of ongoing “security operations.”
He added that civilian casualties are unavoidable in such operations.
The United Nations has expressed concern over the escalating violence, noting that it has displaced at least 50,000 people since February.
The renewed fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar threatens the fragile 2018 peace agreement.
Tensions surged after an estimated 6,000 White Army combatants overran a military encampment in Nasir earlier this month.
International observers, including the UN, warn that South Sudan is perilously close to relapsing into civil war, potentially exacerbated by the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
