A member of the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Team is currently battling for his life after being attacked by armed illegal miners in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.
The officer was ambushed by the miners, who were reportedly armed with assault rifles and machetes, during a mission to halt illegal mining activities in the reserve. According to reports, the officer sustained a deep machete wound to his knee during the attack.
Before the ambush, the team had captured footage of armed individuals guarding a barrier at the entrance to the forest. As they moved deeper into the reserve, they were surrounded and attacked by the illegal miners hiding in the bush.
The officer, whose identity has not been revealed, is receiving medical treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
This attack highlights the increasing danger faced by forestry officers in Ghana as they combat illegal mining, which continues to threaten the nation’s forests and water bodies. The Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve has been a major target for such activities.
The Forestry Commission and security agencies have been working together to clamp down on illegal mining in the region, but officials have not yet commented on the attack or whether any arrests have been made.
This incident underscores the growing risks faced by forest protection officers in their efforts to combat illegal mining in Ghana.
