A South Sudanese military court on Thursday sentenced ten soldiers to jail terms ranging from seven years to life for the rape of foreign aid workers and the murder of a local journalist in an assault on a hotel in the capital, Juba in 2016.

One of the eleven soldiers who were on trial was set free due to lack of charges against him even as the court also ordered the government to pay damages to the victims of the assault.

Two of the soldiers received life sentences while eight others got prison terms of seven years and above.

Described as one of the worst attacks on aid workers in South Sudan’s civil war, the incident took place on July 11, 2016 as President Salva Kiir’s troops won a three-day battle in Juba over opposition forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar.

Witnesses told reporters at the time that armed men attacked the Terrain Hotel in Juba for several hours. The victims had reportedly phoned United Nations peacekeepers stationed a mile away and begged for help but none came.

Consequently, the military head of the UN peacekeeping mission was fired while its political head resigned over the incident.