Gambiaj.com – (Jabang, The Gambia) – At least 36 people have been arrested following violent clashes in Jabang last night during a protest over a long-running land dispute between youths from Jabang and neighboring Sukuta.

According to a statement from the Gambia Police Force, officers from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) and Anti-Crime Unit were deployed after protesters blocked the main highway with burning tyres, disrupting traffic and movement.

The unrest escalated when the PIU’s temporary guard post in Jabang, set up to oversee ongoing evictions linked to the dispute, came under attack.

Police reported that mattresses, bags, and mobile phones belonging to officers were taken during the incident, while two officers sustained minor injuries but have since been treated and discharged.

Police operations led to the dispersal of protesters and the arrest of 36 individuals, who are currently being held at Old Yundum Police Station for further investigation.

Two mattresses and other items alleged to have been stolen from the guard post were recovered, though the facility itself was vandalized during the attack.

The police said the situation has since been brought under control, with residents resuming normal activities on Friday morning. Authorities urged communities to resolve disputes through lawful and peaceful means.

Meanwhile, allegations of heavy-handed tactics by security forces have emerged. GRTS journalist Khadijah Bokum claimed that PIU officers fired tear gas indiscriminately into residential compounds during the operation.

She alleged that officers stormed her family home, throwing teargas into rooms occupied by her sister-in-law and two young children before assaulting and dragging them outside.

“They forced us onto their pickup. I was only released after pleading and being recognized by one of the officers. By then, damage had already been done,” she recounted.

The police have not yet responded to these allegations.