The Lands Ministry says it will not retreat in the fight against illegal mining, despite a violent attack on personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) that left one officer injured and an armed assailant dead.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Media Relations Officer of the ministry, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, NAIMOS confirmed that one of its task force members was shot in the thigh during a routine anti-galamsey operation in the Bono Region.

The incident occurred in a bush along the Subinkurom–Kyeremasu stretch in the Dormaa Central Municipality.

According to the statement, the task force came under sudden attack when armed men, who had been hiding in the bushes, opened fire upon sighting the officers.

This triggered an exchange of gunfire, during which the NAIMOS officer was hit.

The injured personnel was rushed to St. Matthew Catholic Hospital in Ampenkuro, where he is currently receiving treatment.

During the exchange, one of the armed assailants was shot. He was later identified as Abuu Ibrahim and was pronounced dead on arrival at the same hospital.

The Ministry, through NAIMOS, acknowledged the growing risks faced by officers on the frontlines of the anti-galamsey campaign but stressed that the violence would not derail ongoing operations.

“Despite the persistent attacks and disruptions, [NAIMOS] remains committed to fighting the scourge of illegal mining,” the statement said.

The incident adds to mounting concerns about the increasing militarisation of illegal mining activities, with task force operations now facing direct armed resistance in some parts of the country.

NAIMOS has urged all stakeholders to continue supporting its work as it presses ahead with efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which continues to devastate forest reserves, water bodies and farmlands across Ghana.

The Ministry insists that the resolve to protect the country’s natural resources remains firm, even in the face of deadly resistance.