One person has reportedly sustained a gunshot wound to the leg following a confrontation between a joint Military and Police team believed to be attached to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and a group of miners at Kyebi in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, as authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
However, sources said the confrontation occurred when the security team attempted to access a mining site as part of an anti-illegal mining operation.
The miners, reportedly made up of local youth, allegedly blocked the access road to prevent the officers from entering the site.
The youth are said to have accused the security personnel of selective enforcement, claiming that other mining sites engaged in similar activities were ignored while their operation was singled out for action.
According to sources, the aggrieved miners argued that the security team had bypassed other illegal mining sites before targeting theirs, prompting allegations of favouritism and unfair treatment.
The standoff reportedly escalated, resulting in one individual being shot in the leg.
The injured person was rushed to the Kibi Government Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
The incident has heightened tensions in Kyebi, particularly within the Zongo community, where groups of youth have reportedly gathered to demand justice and an explanation for the shooting.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) had not commented on the incident. Investigations are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting.
