Forestry Commission officer fighting for life after machete attack by illegal miners in Offin

A member of the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response team is in critical condition. He was attacked by armed illegal miners in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve. This incident took place in the Ashanti Region.

The officer suffered a deep machete wound to his knee. The miners were reportedly armed with assault rifles and machetes. JoyNews’ Erastus Asare Donko provided this information.

The attack happened when the team entered the reserve to stop illegal mining activities. Before entering, they recorded footage of armed individuals at the forest's entrance.

As they moved deeper into the reserve, they encountered an ambush set by miners. The victim has not yet been identified and is receiving treatment at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

The Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve has seen ongoing illegal mining activities. This poses a serious threat to forest reserves and water bodies in the area.

The Forestry Commission is working with security agencies to address this issue. They are conducting operations to protect these areas from destruction.

Authorities have not yet commented on the attack or any arrests made.