Two Senegalese soldiers killed in mine explosion in south of country

16 Juin 2020

Ziguinchor, Senegal, June 16 (Infosplusgabon) - Two Senegalese soldiers were killed and two others slightly wounded Monday around 14h GMT when an anti-tank mine exploded in the southern region of Ziguinchor, military sources said.

According to the same sources, the incident occurred as a vehicle carrying troops drove on the engine between the villages of Diagon and Bissine, at about 50 km east of Ziguinchor, the main region of Casamance and near the border with Guinea-Bissau.

The bodies of the two soldiers and the wounded were taken to the regional hospital of Ziguinchor, said the same sources.

They said operations were being carried out in the zone not far from the Bissau Guinean border by the Senegalese army to secure the return of populations from exile, after years of wandering.

The operations will be carried out as planned, added the same sources which did not give any further details.

This is the second time mines have claimed the lives of Senegalese soldiers since the beginning of operations about ten days ago.

A first soldier walked on a mine about ten days ago during an operation in a forest.

He was sent in emergency to the hospital of Ziguinchor, where his leg was amputated.

Before that incident, fierce fighting broke out there for two days between Senegalese soldiers and fighters of the Movement of Democratic forces of Casamance (MFDC, separatist movement) opposed to the establishment of an advanced post in that zone.

Again in Casamance, another mine accident occurred Saturday in North-Sindian, near the Gambian border, as a vehicle of the Senegalese army passed by, killing eight soldiers.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/GBJ/GABON2020

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