Gambia soldiers, regional forces clash outside Jammeh home

West African forces clashed with Gambian soldiers loyal to former leader Yahya Jammeh, shooting and injuring three who were guarding graves at his home, the soldiers said Friday.

Modou Mbye said he and his colleagues were guarding graves at the property Thursday and refused when the troops asked to enter. They then entered by force in an armored personnel carrier, firing their guns, Mbye said.

“We do not fire back as we were commanded not to,” Mbye said.

The conflict was caused by a misunderstanding between the two forces and investigations have begun into the incident, Gambia Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Omar B. Bojang said.

Tensions remain in the village where Jammeh once said he would return after he lost December elections to President Adama Barrow. Jammeh flew into exile in Equatorial Guinea as regional countries threatened a military intervention.

Thousands of the West African forces are now providing security in Gambia as the new government settles in.

Barrow has promised to reverse many of the actions taken by Jammeh, who was accused by human rights groups of leading a government that arrested, tortured and killed opponents during his more than two-decade rule.