At least three persons including two police officers were shot while trying to control two groups of rioting youths on Monday in the Bolagatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region.

The officers, who were part of a police/military team deployed to maintain peace between the factions at the Atulbabisi township over a chieftaincy dispute, were caught in the line of fire.

Joy News correspondent, Albert Sore reported on Top Story on Joy FM Tuesday, that one of the wounded officers sustained serious injuries although he is in a stable condition, and is being observed by doctors.

The other man, he said, has been discharged. 

The disturbances have led to reinforced security in the Bolgatanga Municipality while the street in the area where the clashes occurred have been deserted. So far no arrest has been made.

Chieftaincy dispute

It is not known what actually triggered the clashes but the two factions who are members from the same royal family, have been embroiled in a chieftaincy dispute dating back to 2014.

According to the Regional Minister, Paulina Abayage, the youth from the two sides clashed on Monday and attacked each other with stones and fired gunshots injuring a number of people.

An assembly member who manages a public toilet facility in the community was also attacked by “some unknown faces” with stones, the Minister revealed.

She said police were called in to calm the situation and in the course of doing that, the two officers and a civilian sustained gunshot wounds.

But she told the host of the programme, Evans Mensah that, the entire municipality is now peaceful.

“Police are in the Bolgatanga municipality to make sure nothing untoward happens,” she stated.

According to her, all the injured have been taken to the hospital and treated “and they are all doing very fine”.