In a statement issued in Conakry, the ministry said the soldiers entered the district of Koudaya in Faranah region "without authorization,” where they "set up a tent and raised their national flag.” Guinean authorities said the troops’ equipment and supplies were seized and that the soldiers remain in custody pending further investigation.

The Guinean government framed the incident as a violation of territorial sovereignty. "Our defense and security forces acted promptly to preserve the integrity of national borders,” the statement said.

Earlier Tuesday, Sierra Leone’s government acknowledged that several members of a security unit, including an officer, had been apprehended Monday while making bricks for a border post in Kalieyereh, Falaba district — a community near the disputed frontier. Officials in Freetown did not directly confirm crossing into Guinean territory but said they were seeking clarification through diplomatic channels.

The frontier dispute dates back more than two decades to the 1991–2002 Sierra Leone civil war, when Sierra Leone invited Guinean forces to help secure its eastern border against rebel incursions. Although the war ended, border demarcation disagreements have persisted, periodically straining relations.

Tensions flared again last year when Guinean troops entered a mineral-rich border town in Sierra Leone, prompting protests from Freetown.

Regional observers say the latest episode underscores unresolved demarcation issues and the sensitivity of border security operations in resource-rich zones. As of Wednesday, neither government had announced a timeline for the soldiers’ release or for formal bilateral talks.