SSPDF claims capture of SPLA-IO tank, to transport combat vehicle to Juba

BOR – The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has claimed it has captured a tank belonging to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) during ongoing clashes in northern Jonglei State and plans to transport the combat vehicle to Juba as proof of what it describes as a battlefield breakthrough.

In a video statement obtained by Sudans Post, Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo, the SSPDF Deputy Chief of Defence Forces for Mobilisation and Disarmament, announced the arrival of the armoured vehicle in Bor Town following recent fighting between the government and opposition forces in Waat town of Nyirol County.

“Today [Thursday], citizens are very happy, we have arrived in Bor Town with [a] tank known as Borchar of Lou Nuer,” Olony said in the video. He stated that the vehicle had been towed to Malual Chaat, the headquarters of SSPDF Division Eight.

According to Olony, the capture of the tank demonstrates the army’s advance into areas previously associated with opposition activity.

“This is proof that we have reached Waat and all these places. We come, and we are going back,” he said, suggesting that government forces had conducted operations in contested territories before returning to Bor.

The senior officer further revealed that the armoured vehicle would be transported to the capital. “We are taking it to Juba to show [it] to citizens and be received by the army leadership,” he stated, describing the move as a morale-boosting gesture for supporters of the government.

The claims come amid renewed fighting in parts of northern Jonglei, including areas around Waat, where tensions between SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces have reportedly escalated in recent weeks. The conflict has raised fears of further displacement in a region already grappling with insecurity, inter-communal violence, and humanitarian challenges.

As of publication, SPLA-IO officials had not publicly responded to the claim that one of their tanks had been captured.

Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel instead claimed on a Facebook page on Friday that “The SPLA-IO has regained full control of Walgak in Akobo county after repulsing attacks from SSPDF.”

Military analysts note that the public display of captured equipment is often used in conflict situations to signal battlefield gains and assert territorial control. In a volatile environment such as Jonglei, such announcements can carry both military and political implications.

The situation on the ground remains fluid, with communities in northern Jonglei watching closely as hostilities between the rival forces continue.