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Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul says “no innocent person’s life will be lost” in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey).

The Minister, addressing the press at the Ministry of Information in Accra on Tuesday, May 11, disclosed that the Military “air operation” has been sanctioned where the soldiers will use the helicopter to track illegal mining activities.

Showing a video at the “Meet the Press”, the Military were seen firing gunshots into river bodies where mining activities are carried out, although there was no presence of people in the areas when the air operation personnel fired the shots.

There are fears over the Military’s air operation as part of their orders to remove persons and machinery in mining areas.

Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, in response, has allayed the fears.

He stated; “No innocent person’s life will be lost. The Military will continue to do what they have to do on the water bodies and 100 meters off it to ensure that all equipment seized are destroyed, but the Military will not target . . . to take lives but I can’t guarantee because [incidents] accidents happen.”

He, however, issued a caveat stressing there will only be a loss of life should any person attempt attacks on the Military personnel deployed to protect the river bodies.

“A life will be lost if somebody attacks the Military...”, he said.