Three civilians were killed and one injured after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a military-escorted convoy carrying 140 civilians through the Upper East Region on Monday, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed.
The attack struck the convoy as it traveled from the Bawku area toward Bolgatanga, the regional capital, passing through Binduri. Soldiers repelled the assault, killing seven of the attackers in the process. A follow-up operation recovered a G3 automatic rifle, two loaded magazines containing 20 rounds each, and 176 additional rounds of ammunition from a suspect who had fled into a mosque. The GAF has since confirmed that the number of arrests linked to the attack has risen to 21, with investigations continuing.
The ambush deepens concern over security in and around Bawku, where a long-running dispute between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups over chieftaincy rights has driven cycles of deadly violence. The conflict has claimed more than 300 lives since 2021 and extended well beyond Bawku’s municipal boundaries into Binduri and surrounding communities. Ghana’s interior ministry imposed a nightly curfew on Binduri in March 2025 before lifting it in February 2026 following a period of relative calm.
The GAF expressed condolences to the families of the three civilians killed and warned the public against interfering with ongoing security operations in the area.
