By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – Four Senegalese soldiers were killed and three others injured in an anti-tank mine explosion in southern Senegal, near the border with Gambia, the military said on Friday.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening when a military vehicle ran over an anti-tank mine during an operation in North Bignona area in Military Zone No. 5, Casamance region, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces said.
“I bow to the memory of four of our soldiers who fell on the field of honor, after the explosion of an anti-tank mine. On behalf of the nation, I extend my heartfelt condolences to their families and to the defense and security forces and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Senegal’s President Macky Sall said on X.
Local media reports said the situation remained tense on Friday in the area where separatist rebels operate.
The Senegalese army conducts regular operations in this region also bordering Guinea-Bissau in order to root out separatist rebels of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), who want to break away from the central government.
Renewed conflict erupted in 2021 after Senegal launched a major offensive to root out the rebels.
Sall had pledged to end the rebellion as one of his priorities.