The U.S. also asked its citizens to leave the country.

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday in Washington ordered its non-essential officials to leave South Sudan immediately and warned its citizens not to visit because of violence.

The state department added that its embassy in the capital, Juba, was suspending “normal operations until further notice and cannot provide routine consular services to U.S. citizens in South Sudan”.

“U.S. citizens who choose to stay in South Sudan despite this warning should review their personal security situation and seriously reconsider their plans to remain,” the department said in its travel advisory.

Reuters reports that gunfire and explosions were heard throughout Juba on Tuesday, a day after South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, said security forces had put down a coup attempt by a faction within the army.

Mr. Kiir blamed the trouble on Riek Machar, a former Vice President and long-time rival from an opposing ethnic group.

Mr. Machar was being sought on Tuesday after 10 senior political figures were arrested as part of the attempted coup.

Twenty-six people have been killed in the fighting.

(Reuters/NAN)