The Guyana Defence Force has made moves to significantly adjust its posture on the western border and surrounding communities, following the attack on a GDF patrol in the Cuyuni river that left six servicemen nursing gunshot wounds.

In a telephone interview with News Source, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan, said a number of things are being addressed with regards to the posture of the Guyana Defence Force at border locations.

“The incident that occurred demands of us to transition into a new defence posturing, which will entail a number of things, and I want to assure you that it is being addressed as we are talking. I may not be able to go into the specifics, but certainly that incident has demanded of us to address a number of things and to tell you our security posture on the border will be enhanced”, Brigadier Khan explained.

Since the extraction of the six soldiers who were shot, the GDF has reinforced its presence along the Cuyuni river and in other sections of the border with Venezuela.  The gunmen who attacked the GDF ranks are suspected to have been members of a criminal gang.  There are reports that have indicated that at least three of the Venezuelan gunmen were arrested in Venezuela after they sought medical help for wounds they suffered during their attack.

The Government of Guyana has expressed its outrage over the incident and has informed its international partners. 

For its part, the Government of Venezuela appears to be blaming Guyana over the incident and in an official release, has accused Guyana and its international partners of resorting to “disinformation and propaganda”.

Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs summoned the Venezuelan Ambassador on Tuesday and made known to him, the Guyana Government’s outrage and concern over the incident.

President Irfaan Ali is expected to raise the issue during meetings with other CARICOM Heads of Government at the CARICOM Summit, which opens in Barbados this evening.

Before leaving for Barbados, the President visited the injured soldiers and relayed the Guyana Government’s support for them.

The Guyana Defence Force in a statement last night said the injured ranks suffered penetrating trauma due to gunshot wounds and three of them required surgical intervention.

The GDF has also said it remains steadfast in safeguarding Guyana’s territorial integrity.

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