A member of the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response team is battling for his life after being attacked by armed illegal miners in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.
The officer sustained a deep machete wound to his knee during an ambush by the miners, who were reportedly armed with assault rifles and machetes, JoyNews’ Erastus Asare Donko reported.
The incident occurred when the team entered the reserve to halt fresh illegal mining activities.
Prior to their entry, they had captured footage of some of the armed individuals manning a barrier at the forest’s entrance.
However, upon venturing deeper into the reserve, they discovered that a group of the miners had laid an ambush in the bush.
The yet-to-be-identified victim is currently receiving medical treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
The Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve has been a hotspot for illegal mining, which continues to pose a severe threat to the country’s forest reserves and water bodies.
The Forestry Commission, in collaboration with security agencies, has been leading operations to curb the destruction of these protected areas.
Authorities are yet to comment on the attack and whether any arrests have been made.