One Senegalese soldier was killed and six others wounded on Thursday after troops clashed with suspected fighters linked to the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) during an operation to destroy cannabis farms in southern Senegal, the army said.
According to a statement issued by the Senegalese Armed Forces’ Directorate of Information and Public Relations, the confrontation occurred on March 12 in the Kadialock area of North Sindian in the Bignona department, close to the Gambian border in the southern Casamance region.
The army said a military detachment operating under Military Zone No. 5 encountered a group of armed individuals while carrying out operations to destroy fields of “chanvre indien,” a term used locally to refer to marijuana.
“The first toll indicates one soldier killed and six wounded,” the statement said, adding that several of the attackers were “neutralized” during the exchange.
Military units have since continued operations in the area aimed at dismantling cannabis plantations, pursuing armed groups and ensuring the safety of local populations and their property.
