Armed Burkinabè Soldiers Arrested on Ghanaian Soil Near Border, Later Released
Security forces in the Upper West Region have arrested 17 heavily armed soldiers from Burkina Faso who were found inside Ghanaian territory in the Sissala East District.
The men, all aged between 20 and 30, were carrying dozens of military weapons and explosive devices. They were caught near the border community of Wuru, about an hour’s drive east of Tumu.
According to Ghana Immigration Service officials, residents spotted the soldiers building a combat position with sandbags and quickly raised an alarm.
Security teams responded fast, surrounded the group, and took them along with their weapons to a local office for questioning.
The soldiers claimed they were on routine patrol and had accidentally crossed the border after getting lost.
Despite their explanation, they were held for several hours until around 9:00 p.m., when higher authorities in Accra ordered their release.
Their weapons were handed back the next day after a delegation, including staff from the Ghanaian Embassy in Burkina Faso, visited the area.
The incident happened in the Nazinga Forest range, an area where residents reported seeing suspected terrorists moving around farmlands between 2022 and 2023. Those activities disrupted farming, hunting, and other local work.
Intelligence reports from December 2025 had warned that armed groups might return to the area.
This event has raised fresh concerns about border security, especially with ongoing instability in neighbouring Burkina Faso. Authorities say they are monitoring the situation closely to protect communities.
