The aircraft came under fire as it tried to rescue wounded soldiers, the United Nations said. The attack came amid fears that a critical power-sharing deal was at risk of collapse, risking all-out civil war.

A helicopter operated by the UN Mission in South Sudan came under heavy fire while attempting evacuation following clashes between SSPDF and a militia group.

One crew member died when a UN helicopter was shot at, a statement from its mission in South Sudan, Unmiss, said. It added that an injured South Sudanese general and several other troops were also killed during the evacuation attempt in Upper Nile state.