Armed men ambushed a United Nations peacekeeping patrol in South Sudan on Monday, killing two peacekeepers and wounding seven others in an attack that has deepened fears of the country's slide toward full-scale civil war. The patrol was travelling toward Pajut, a remote area in Jonglei state — a region in the east of the country that has been at the centre of escalating conflict — when it came under attack. No group has claimed responsibility.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirmed that all five peacekeepers — both those killed and the three wounded — were from Ethiopia. Also injured in the attack were two South Sudanese police officers and two civilian staff attached to the mission. UNMISS said it deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and support the emergency response. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the ambush