Forces of ex-Vice President Riek Machar said they killed over 500 soldiers in Bentiu.

The Deputy Governor of South Sudan’s Unity State, Stephen Mabek Lang, on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, admitted that rebel forces were in control of Bentiu, capital of the strategic oil-rich state. Fighting erupted in December 2013 between the army and dissident soldiers loyal to former Vice President Dr Riek Machar after an abortive coup.

The Sudan Tribune daily cited Governor Lang as explaining that the army pulled out after a commanding officer allegedly withdrew his forces without notifying his colleagues. Military sources said Major Gen. Puljang Mathews pulled out his troops from Rubkona on Tuesday without the authorities’ knowledge, making it possible for rebels to quickly enter parts of the town without any resistance.

However, the spokesperson for South Sudan’s army, Col. Philip Aguer, said fighting was still continuing in Bentiu. Speaking for the rebels, Brigadier Gen. Lul Ruai ordered oil companies to halt operations in the state immediately and evacuate their staff within a week, the BBC said. He warned the firms not to defy the order, saying they risked a "forced oil shutdown and the safety of their staff."

Meanwhile, rebels yesterday, April 16, 2014, claimed they killed 510 soldiers, including a top general in Tuesday’s operations, the Sudan Tribune reported. Lt. Col. Peter Riek Gew said Brigadier General Boutros Lominy was killed, 10 tanks destroyed and four others in good condition seized. He added that they captured a number of government officials, including Major Gen. Carlos Kuol.

In a related development, South Sudan has accused Sudan of training the troops that attacked Bentiu, a charge Khartoum rejected. Col. Philip Aguer told the London-based ‘Asharq Alawsat’ newspaper on Tuesday that the troops were trained inside Sudanese territory under the supervision of the army.