Rebels in South Sudan have denied shooting down a UN helicopter, which crashed on Tuesday, killing 3 and injuring one of those on board.
The rebel SPLM dismissed the claims made by the South Sudanese army as government propaganda.
"The SPLM/SPLA [in Opposition] would like to take this opportunity to refute these malicious allegations levelled by the propaganda machine of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS)," said the statement, which bore the signature of Mabior Garang de Mabior, the chairperson of the committee for information and public relations.
"The area in which the plane was reportedly shot down is government-held territory, if indeed the aircraft was shot down. It is unfortunate that the GRSS propaganda machine is trying to capitalise on this unfortunate event to score political points,"
According to the Sudan Tribune, rebel brigadier-general Lul Ruai Koang pledged to assist any investigations.
"We pledge a full cooperation with the investigation team once formed," said Koang.
Rebel commander Peter Gadet previously warned the United Nations not to fly any aircraft over territory which his group currently controls, according to the governor of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state, Akol Ayom Wek.