2 Killed, 6 Injured At Alavanyo-Dzogbedze ... in Exchange of Fire Between Irate Youths and Soldiers

By Alberto Mario Noretti

Ho — TWO men were killed and six injured at Alavanyo-Dzogbedze in an exchange of fire between some irate youths and a team of military personnel on Sunday evening.

This was after the military personnel were trying to retrieve an AK47 assault rifle and three handcuffs seized from the police earlier by the youths.

The youths were said to have turned off all the lights in the community and began firing at the soldiers from the 66 Artillery, as they were withdrawing from the area to their base at Alavanyo-Kpeme.

"In self-defence, the soldiers returned fire and in the process two of the youths dropped dead and six sustained injuries," said the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Ebenezer Doku.

He told the Ghanaian Times in Ho yesterday that, a team from the Police SWAT Unit in Ho had gone on an operation in Alavanyo-Dzogbedze to retrieve illicit weapons being kept in the community.

When the team got there, they were encircled by the irate youths who seized the weapon and the handcuffs.

In a peaceful move, DCOP Doku said, the SWAT withdrew and went to the Kpando Police Station to inform the command about what happened at Alavanyo-Dzogbedze before returning to Ho.

Based on that, the Kpando Police called for military assistance to retrieve the weapon and the handcuffs from the youth.

While negotiating with the traditional authorities there for the release of the weapon and handcuffs, the youths turned all the lights off in the community, compelling the soldiers to withdraw peacefully from the area.

However, the youths pursued the soldiers and opened fire on them without any provocation.

DCOP Doku said that the soldiers who were left with no other option returned fire, resulting in the casualties among the youths.

"For now, we cannot tell whether the deceased were hit by bullets from the soldiers' guns or from their own guns in the cross-fire," the regional police commanders stated.

The identities of the deceased and the injured were not established at the time of filing this report.

The regional police commander said that the chief of the Alavanyo-Dzogbedze had assured the police that he would return the rifle and handcuffs as soon as possible.

The bodies of the deceased have been sent to the Margaret Marquat Hospital in Kpando for preservation and autopsy while the injured are receiving treatment at the same facilities.

An emergency Regional Security (REGSEC) meeting was due to take place later yesterday in connection with the incident.

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