Pagak offensive
| Pagak offensive | |||||||
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| Part of South Sudanese Civil War | |||||||
 Most of the offensive takes place in southern Latjoor, though other places such as Mathiang are also affected. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Uganda JEM SPLM-N
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 SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Riek Machar
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Taban Deng Gai (First Vice President) Maj. Gen. Bol Ruach Rom(Governor of Maiwut County) Gen. Justin Nhial Batoang(6th Division commander) Brig. Gen. Mun Gach Thoch(SPLM-IO Juba faction commander) Brig. Gen. Lual Dak Gatkek(SPLM-IO Juba faction commander) |
Maj. Gen. Khor Chuol Giet (5th Division chief commander) Maj. Gen. James Ochan Puot(5th Division deputy commander) Maj. Gen. Peter Lim Bol(Sector 4 deputy commander) Maj. Tut Rom  (Jotome County commissioner) |
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| Units involved | |||||||
UPDF (rebel claim)
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SPLM/A-IO
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| Strength | |||||||
| 6,000 (rebel claim) | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy (rebel claim) | Unknown | ||||||
| Tens of thousands displaced | |||||||
SPLM/A-IO
The Pagak offensive is a major military operation by the South Sudanese government during the South Sudanese Civil War with the aim of capturing the strategic town of Pagak and the wider Maiwut County from Riek Machar's SPLM-IO rebels. Since the civil war's beginning, Pagak serves as headquarters and stronghold for the rebels, and its loss is believed to possibly greatly weaken the insurgency. A large part of the government forces that take part in the offensive are members of the SPLM-IO (Juba faction), a break-away group from Machar's movement that is loyal to First Vice President Taban Deng Gai.
According to rebel officials, the government offensive began around 1 July 2017, as SPLA soldiers and allied "Sudanese rebels" reportedly launched "surprise attacks" on positions of Machar loyalists in and around Mathiang and Guelguk, Longechuk County; the rebels claimed that these initial assaults and others in the surrounding countryside were easily repulsed. SPLM-IO military intelligence officer Khamis Mawwil threatened that "there will be a river of body bags if they think they can take over our areas in Upper Nile". The situation changed, however, as fighters loyal to Taban Deng Gai joined the operations against Machar's followers. By 10 July, these militiamen had captured Mathiang and numerous towns and villages in Longechuk County from the rebels. The fighting led the United Nations to evacuate at least 25 aid workers from the SPLA-IO stronghold of Pagak, while thousands of civilians were displaced and around 50,000 cut off from aid. Meanwhile, the government denied that it was conducting an offensive and said that it was still honoring its unilaterally declared ceasefire.
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Wikipedia