Senegalese army shelling the Bissine forest in the south of the country

Ziguinchor, Senegal (PANA) - Heavy gunfire has been reported since 6 a.m. on Tuesday in the Bissine area, about 50 kilometers east of Ziguinchor, the main town in Casamance, southern Senegal.

According to reports, the Senegalese Army is shelling the area to dislodge combatants of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC, pro-independence), who are reportedly based there.

A military vehicle detonated a mine there on Monday, killing two soldiers and injuring two others. After this incident, which spread fear in the area, the army considerably strengthened its positions.  The people of Ziguinchor have noted a large movement of troops towards this area since Monday evening.

Observers expected a response after the death of the two soldiers, but what worries people the most today is the reappearance of mines that had begun to be forgotten in the region.

In fact, the mines, which caused the latest accidents in the region, are new poses, as the places where they were located are frequented daily by people and vehicles. So they would have exploded or would have been detected long ago if they were buried a long time ago.

A source in the area where the shooting was heard reveals that people did not go to the cashew plantations on Tuesday for the harvest.

For fear of being confused with rebels or jumping on mines, people preferred to stay in their villages while waiting for the return of a possible calm, observers said, revealing that it was the detonations that woke up the inhabitants on Tuesday.

The Senegalese Army has been conducting an operation to provide security for the population in this area since the beginning of June.

-0- PANA MAD/JSG/SOC/MTA/VAO 16June2020