One suspected illegal miner has died and another has been injured after an armed confrontation during Operation GREEN SHIELD in the Atiwa Forest Reserve.
Four people were arrested in the operation, including three Malian nationals and one Ghanaian. No members of the enforcement team were injured or killed during the encounter.
After completing their primary objective, operatives from ASOB moved approximately 10 kilometres deeper into the forest towards another illegal mining site. The location had previously been identified through drone surveillance.
The foot patrol was conducted between 1100 and 1700 hours. According to the operational account, the team came across about 50 suspected illegal miners actively working at the site.
Some of the miners attempted to escape when they saw the patrol, while others opened fire on the operatives. The team responded with gunfire.
One suspected illegal miner died during the exchange, while another was injured. Four others were arrested. The operatives also seized two pump-action guns and six rounds of ammunition.
First aid was given to the injured person at the scene before he was taken to Kyebi Government Hospital for further treatment.
The four people arrested were later handed over to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) for further action.
The incident highlights the danger posed by armed resistance to personnel carrying out enforcement operations against illegal mining in the forest reserve.
