Ghana’s military has intensified patrols at Soe, a suburb of Bongo along the country’s borders with Burkina Faso to prevent infiltration of terrorists from its Sahelian neighbour, the Ghana Armed Forces has said.
This comes on the back of reports of activities of suspected terrorists in the area.
Some residents have reported sighting in the border community suspicious elements masked and in dresses similar to JNIM Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State – Sahel Province (IS-GS), the militant groups wreaking havoc and causing instability in the Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
In a September 3 publication, the Ghana Armed Forces said its combat wing, the 11 Mechanized Battalion had intensified patrols in the area in response to the reports.
It said the patrols are focused on “reinforcing security in border communities, engaging residents, and verifying intelligence on the reported presence of armed men in the area”.
A community Chief by name Soboko Naba Sapion confirmed encounters and pointed to traces such as cooking sites and footpaths believed to have been created by the suspects along the cross-river border, the military added.
