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Two military officers and a driver at the Goaso Divisional Forestry Commission escaped death when dozens of thugs attacked and inflicted cutlass wounds on them in the Abonwire Forest near Sankore in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

The two military officers who were part of a joint military and forestry taskforce patrol team sustained life-threatening cutlass wounds at the back of their necks, whilst the driver from the Goaso Divisional Forestry Commission also sustained life threatening cutlass wounds.

The attackers held offensive weapons such as cutlasses, pepper spray, metals, sticks and stones and chanted war songs as they attacked their victims.

According to the police, the perpetrators also attempted but failed to seize the weapons of the joint patrol team during the attack.

The taskforce led by W02 Yaw Agyapong, including four military officers and the driver from the Goaso Divisional Forestry Commission were deployed to the area to protect the Sankore Abonwire Forest Reserve from illegal chainsaw operators, illegal miners [galamseyers] and other criminal activities in the reserve.

The angry youth launched the attack on the taskforce when the team deflated tyres of impounded trucks to restrain them from moving away.

The impounded vehicles included a tractor with registration number GR 6755-F and a timber truck with registration number GW 3568-P, which was loaded with timber logs.

When information about the action of the taskforce got to the town, about 50 young people wielding some offensive weapons reportedly besieged the area and attacked the taskforce members.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Chief Inspector Augustine Kingsley Oppong told Graphic Online that the assault on the military officers occurred last Thursday at about 5pm.

According to him, when the police arrived at the crime scene, the perpetrators had already caused harm and left the scene, adding that no arrest has been made as of now.