Gambiaj.com – (Tambacounda, Senegal) – In a region on high alert due to growing jihadist threats near the Senegal-Mali border, Senegalese border police have arrested three Pakistani nationals during a routine checkpoint operation near Gouloumbou, close to the southeastern frontier.

The arrests were carried out by officers under the command of Lieutenant Diop, head of the Tambacounda border police, in the context of reinforced security operations across the region. The three individuals — Farooq Umar (born 1992), Muhammad Amiad (born 1975), and Muhammad Asif (born 1987) — were intercepted en route to the annual Daaka religious gathering in Médina Gounass, a major spiritual event that attracts tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims from across West Africa.

According to police sources, the Pakistani nationals had traveled from Dakar but were unable to provide baggage or documentation justifying their stay in the country.

Their presence near the sensitive border zone, particularly amid an event of such scale and symbolic significance, raised immediate concerns for security forces already on edge over the spillover risks of jihadist activity from neighboring Mali.

Security officials have grown increasingly cautious about cross-border movement in the region, particularly in light of threats posed by extremist groups operating in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Though Senegal has remained largely untouched by direct attacks, the southeastern regions, including Kédougou and Tambacounda, are under enhanced surveillance.

Placed in police custody, the three men were handed over to the public prosecutor at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Tambacounda at the end of their legal detention period. They are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday to face charges of irregular stay.

The arrests come amid heightened vigilance as authorities strive to balance the open and spiritual nature of the Daaka pilgrimage with the imperative of national security. Intelligence services are continuing investigations to rule out any links to extremist networks.

For this year’s Daaka event, Senegalese authorities have implemented robust security measures, deploying an enhanced contingent of the Gendarmerie. This includes a mobilization of 360 gendarmes from the new Kolda Legion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sidy Dione, and supplemented by air surveillance to ensure effective coordination with ground operations.

The comprehensive deployment features a significant logistical apparatus, comprising 67 vehicles (including a medical ambulance and a tanker truck), motorcycles, drone units for aerial reconnaissance, specialized cynophile teams, and state-of-the-art transmission equipment.