PM Phillips visits injured soldier after border attack in Region 7

Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips visited Lance Corporal Troyland Douglas at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation who was injured after of the Guyana Defence Force ranks came under gunfire while escorting civilian vessels in the vicinity of Black Water, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The Lance Corporal is currently receiving treatment after sustaining gunshot injuries during a GDF boat patrol along Guyana’s western border in Region Seven.
During the visit, PM Phillips wished Lance Corporal Douglas a full and speedy recovery and reaffirmed the Government’s support for the men and women of the GDF in the execution of their duties to safeguard Guyana’s territorial integrity.
The PM was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS; Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and other senior officers of the Guyana Defence Force.

Lance Corporal Douglas was injured when the GDF patrol, which was escorting three civilian boats transporting personnel and cargo from Makapa to Eteringbang, came under fire in the vicinity of Black Water. The patrol returned fire and safely manoeuvred the convoy out of the area.
The GDF, in a statement issued on Monday, said the incident occurred around 11:30h in the vicinity of Black Water as ranks conducted a boat patrol operation between Makapa and Eteringbang.
The GDF said it has maintained an active presence along the western border and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its personnel and defending the country’s territorial integrity. No arrests have been reported, and investigations into the attack are ongoing.
Similar incidents have previously occurred along the same stretch of river. In February 2025, multiple soldiers were injured when another GDF patrol came under heavy gunfire from suspected armed groups during a supply mission between Eteringbang and Makapa. Several ranks sustained gunshot wounds in that engagement, which was later confirmed by both police and military sources.
In May 2025, the GDF reported that troops conducting riverine patrols along the Cuyuni River were targeted in multiple shooting incidents by armed men believed to be operating from the Venezuelan bank. The army confirmed that troops returned fire and that no injuries were reported in that specific exchange.