Members of Ghana security forces take part in a joint Show of Force Exercise in Accra, Ghana, 11 December 2025. The exercise featured the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Immigration Service in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces, aimed at enhancing operational readiness and maintaining peace and stability as the festive season approaches. EPA/FRANK KPORFOR The convoy was travelling in Ghana's Upper East Region from Bawku towards Bolga when unidentified assailants opened fire on it multiple times, the armed forces said in a statement.
The town of Bawku has been gripped by violence rooted in a protracted dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups over who can appoint a chief for the area.
The cycle of violence has resulted in more than 300 casualties since 2021, with the conflict spreading beyond Bawku’s municipal boundaries into neighbouring Binduri.
Ghana's Interior Ministry imposed a nightly curfew on Binduri Township in March 2025 before lifting it in February 2026 following an improvement in security.
Soldiers responded to Monday's attack, killing seven of the assailants, the military said. Troops subsequently recovered a G3 automatic rifle, two filled magazines of 20 rounds each and 176 rounds of additional ammunition from a suspect who fled to a mosque.
Ten other suspects were arrested and are assisting with investigations, the military said.
(Reporting by Emmanuel Bruce; Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Thomas Derpinghaus)