Heavy gunfire erupts in South Sudan's capital Juba

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir arrives at the Great Hall of the People for a welcome banquet in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2024. [AFP.]

Heavy gunfire erupted in South Sudan's capital Juba on Thursday evening after security forces moved to arrest the former head of the intelligence service, according to Reuters reporters and an alert sent to United Nations staff.

The gunfire began about 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) and continued sporadically for more than an hour before dying down, Reuters reporters said.