GAF deploys troops to Kerr Pateh amid spates of armed robberies

The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) announced yesterday that it will be sending troops to Kerr Pateh village in the North Bank Region to tackle the rising rate of armed robbery the settlement is grappling with.

The GAF in press release states: “The Gambia Armed Forces, at the request of civil authority, is deploying troops to Kerr Pateh village in the North Bank region following a spate of armed robberies in the community. Readers may recall that during the month of June this year, the village came under a violent armed attack by some criminals and a considerable amount of money and belongings were looted from innocent businessmen. This incident is symptomatic of a series of periodic armed robberies that occur in villages particularly along the Gambia-Senegal porous border. According to reports, these armed robbers use pick-ups and horse carts as mode of transport to launch attacks and cross the border back into Senegal.

In response to a request by civil authority to deploy our personnel in Kerr Pateh, the Gambia Armed Forces launched Operation FOX HUNT to defend and protect lives and properties of Gambians in this area of the border. The Gambia National Army has been tasked to deploy troops to the area and to conduct vigorous patrols within the general area of Kerr Pateh in order to completely deter the armed robbers from harassing members of the community; and to allow economic and social activities to thrive without hindrance.

Finally, the Gambia National Army solicits the cooperation of the general public especially residents in this area in sharing vital information that could help troops and other security forces to act swiftly and contain any incident that may pose a threat to lives and properties.

The initial deployment of a Platoon comprising 30 personnel of GNA was completed a short while ago in Kerr Pateh and they are led by Lt. Mamat Jobe from 2 Infantry Battalion in Farafenni.”

It could be recalled that early this month; armed robbers reportedly struck the village of Kerr Pateh in the North Bank Region and injured one Cpl. Mboge Bam, an officer of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU), who was posted at the PIU base of the said village.

The armed robbers were reported to have laid ambush before attacking three shops belonging to Mauritanian nationals and made away with more than eight million CFA. They also went away with hundreds of thousands of dalasis. The robbers were reported to have ambushed the PIU base in the village and held key places within the village.