UPDF hands over the recovered guns to South Sudanese authorities. Photo/ supplied.

The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces has refuted reports that its soldiers were killed inside Uganda last month.

Early this month, Eye Radio reported that 4 members of South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces were killed by the Ugandan army following an exchange of gunfire at a village in Yumbe District in Uganda.

According to Ugandan authorities, three soldiers were shot dead on the spot at Fitina Mbaya in Goboro parish, Yumbe district while a fourth one died later in South Sudan.

Ugandan media reported on Wednesday that the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF have handed over guns belonging to the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces- soldiers who were shot dead on May 30th in Yumbe District.

It said the UPDF handed over to South Sudanese authorities 5 guns with 170 rounds of ammunition recovered when the soldiers were killed.

However, the SSPDF spokesperson says its soldiers and one police officer were killed inside South Sudan in a contested area called Buya, part of Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria state.

Major General Lul Ruai Koang says the soldiers were patrolling the border areas to prevent illegal crossings into the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The soldiers were on foot-patrol they were trying to keep an eye on illegal movement of villagers across the border and they were basically enforcing the rules on control of COVID-19, so they were shot at in our territory, but Uganda reported it like they were shot in their territory, which was not true,” Lul told Eye Radio on Friday.

“It is a disputed area the Ugandans encroached on it. And you know very well that the Ugandans have been encroaching in our territory starting from this side of Magwi up to that side [of KajoKeji,” he added.