At least 14 soldiers were killed and several injured in South Sudan after a shootout erupted within the Unified VIP Protection Force over a suspected “love triangle” at a market near the Abyei Box region.

The clash involved officers aligned with President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar, whose ongoing political rivalry has destabilized the country since their 2018 peace deal.

The violence spread to checkpoints and barracks, with one civilian reportedly caught in the crossfire.

South Sudan faces growing insecurity, with nearly 2,000 civilian deaths this year, increased recruitment of armed forces, and 321,000 people displaced, CBS News has reported.

While the army called the incident personal rather than politically motivated, it underscores the fragility of the nation’s peace and the risk of renewed civil war.