Since the civil war's beginning, Pagak had served as headquarters and stronghold for the rebels, and its loss was believed to possibly greatly weaken the insurgency.

[2] On 27 July, the rebel-held town of Maiwut, near the border with Ethiopia, was eventually captured by SPLA troops, consisting mainly of forces loyal to Vice-President Taban Deng Gai.

[17][1][18] Only after this victory did the government admit that it had launched an offensive, though it was now framed as "self-defense" in order to prevent constant rebel attacks on government-held areas.

[19][21][22] The government went on to say that its forces were welcomed by the residents of Pagak who had "been held hostage for almost four years since the conflict erupted" by the rebels; this was however denied by local aid workers, according to whom thousands fled the SPLA soldiers.

Exploiting that most of the garrison had been moved to secure Pagak, the insurgents reportedly retook the town and captured much military equipment; the government however denied that Maiwut had fallen.

[25] Between 11 and 15 August heavy fighting raged at the town, with the rebels repeatedly claiming that they had fully retaken it and that the government troops had been reduced to an holdout at the Ethiopian border crossing.

[30] By 25 August, a United Nations peacekeeping official confirmed that Pagak was fully under government control; nevertheless, heavy fighting continued in the surrounding areas with the corridor to Mathiang remaining unsafe.