The United Nations said at least 58 people were killed while hundreds of others were wounded in an attack inside a UN peacekeeping base that sheltered thousands of civilians in South Sudan.

The UN said gunmen opened fire on civilians seeking refuge in the shelter inside the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base on Thursday. The center is home to at least 5,000 people who have been displaced by months of conflict in the war-torn nation.

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Had it not been for the quick response of peacekeepers from South Korea, Nepal and India, more people could have been massacred in the attack, said Toby Lanzer, the top UN official in South Sudan.

The United Nations praised the quick response of the peacekeepers and vowed that it would use lethal force to ensure that lives of civilians under its care are protected, said Lanzer.

Lanzer said a group of some 300 armed youths in civilian clothes, suddenly breach the perimeter of the base and started shooting on terrified civilians, with the apparent motive of killing as much people as possible.

The peacekeepers, said Lanzer, immediately responded to the attack, forcing the gunmen to retreat. The quick actions of the peacekeepers, he said, saved thousands of lives.

After the shooting, 48 bodies, including children, women, and men, were recovered inside the base while the bodies of 10 armed men were found outside the base. Lanzer said the figure could increase as more than 100 people were wounded, some severely.

South Sudan's government, however, blamed the UN peacekeepers from provoking the demonstrators, which resulted to the attack. It also accused the UN of sheltering thousands of rebel supporters.

The country's Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, claimed the peacekeepers fired shots on air, provoking the situation. He said the youth demonstrators were only conducting peaceful protest outside the base.