Dozens of civilians and two UN peacekeepers were wounded in South Sudan Thursday when gunmen stormed a UN peacekeeping base in a "deadly and unprovoked" attack to slaughter civilians sheltered inside, the UN said.

Dozens of civilians and two UN peacekeepers were wounded in South Sudan Thursday when gunmen stormed a UN peacekeeping base in a "deadly and unprovoked" attack to slaughter civilians sheltered inside, the UN said.

"The armed mob forced entry into the site and opened fire on the internally displaced persons sheltering inside the base," the UN peacekeeping mission said in a statement, saying its forces opened fire and the fighters retreated. It said "dozens" were wounded and condemned "heinous murders", although it has not officially confirmed any deaths.