The government in Sierra Leone accused the Guinean army on Tuesday of crossing its northern border on Monday, arresting Sierra Leonean soldiers and police officers and seizing "their weapons and ammunition" after "a clash", according to a statement from its Ministry of Information.

The Guinean government, for its part, has not yet reacted to these accusations.

"The Government of Sierra Leone confirms that on Monday, February 23, members of the Guinean Armed Forces crossed the border into the border town of Kalieyereh, in the Sulima chiefdom, Falaba district (north) where Sierra Leonean soldiers and police officers were deployed," the statement published on social media said.

"At the time of the incident, Sierra Leonean security personnel were busy making bricks for the construction of a border post and accommodation center intended to support security operations in the area," the text adds.

According to the statement, the Sierra Leone flag "had been raised on territory recognized as belonging to Sierra Leone".

"During the confrontation, the Guinean armed forces apprehended several members of the joint security team, including an officer, and transported them across the border into Guinean territory," the statement continued.

"Their weapons and ammunition were also seized," the same source added.

Freetown says it is "actively working through established diplomatic and security channels to confirm their location and secure their unconditional and safe release," according to the statement.

Guinea and Sierra Leone share hundreds of kilometers of border.

The two West African countries belong to several regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Mano River Union, the latter framework which they have in common with Liberia and Ivory Coast.