A member of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force has been shot during a routine anti-galamsey operation in the Bono Region, while one armed assailant was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

In a statement signed by the Media Relations Officer of NAIMOS, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the incident occurred on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in a bush along the Subinkuro–Kyeremasu stretch within the Dormaa Central Municipality.

It said the task force came under attack after armed men, who were hiding in nearby bushes, opened fire upon sighting the team during the operation.

This triggered a gun battle, during which one NAIMOS personnel sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh.

The injured officer was rushed to the St. Matthew Catholic Hospital at Ampenkuro, where he is currently responding to treatment.

The statement further disclosed that one of the assailants who opened fire on the task force was shot dead during the exchange. The deceased, identified as Abuu Ibrahim, was pronounced dead on arrival at the same hospital.

Despite what it described as persistent attacks and disruptions to its work, NAIMOS reaffirmed its resolve to continue the fight against illegal mining and called on stakeholders to maintain their support for ongoing operations.

Read the full statement below