Within the framework of sustained military operations and in compliance with the constitutional mission of protecting the life, security and tranquility of the inhabitants, troops of Colombian National Army, attached to the Sixth Division, through the Twelfth Brigade and the Rapid Deployment Force No. 6, reported important results of the military operation in the departments of Caquetá and Putumayo, neutralizing threats that held a serious risk for rural communities.
In the department of Caquetá, during territorial control operations in the Unión Peneya-Montañita axis sector, soldiers dismantled an illegal explosives hideout hidden in a wooded area, very close to a military base and just 600 meters of the urban center of the municipality of La Unión Peneya, in an environment of high community presence.
Eight improvised explosive devices were found by troops at the site, with a pressure-activated system, an indiscriminate method that can be detonated with the simple contact of a person, an animal or a vehicle. According to the first verifications, this explosive element would belong to the Rodrigo Cadete illegal structure.
The proximity of these devices to inhabited areas held an imminent risk for the inhabitants, especially for children and peasant families who transit or carry out their daily activities in the sector, evidencing a serious violation of the principles of international humanitarian law.
Once the finding was made, the troops immediately activated the security protocols, cordoned off the area and requested the intervention of specialized personnel. The EXDE group carried out the controlled destruction of the devices, for the safety of the inhabitants, the nearby facilities and the surrounding area.
Simultaneously, in the department of Putumayo, in the rural area of the village of Villa Nueva del Yurilla, of the municipality of Puerto Guzmán, units of the Rapid Deployment Force N° 6 reported the finding of an illegal camp area, which would belong to the GAO-r so called Structure Comandos de frontera, National Coordination of the Bolivarian Army.
The camp had an approximate extension of 400 meters, with capacity for 140 to 160 members, and evidenced an estimated stay of 8 to 10 days, depending on the conditions in the place. During the search, 5 explosive devices were found by troops, strategically planted around a water intake at the end of the camp area, which constituted a direct threat to the inhabitants and to the troops in the region.
The place belonging to this illegal armed structure was established through elements such as distinctive fabric fragments, as well as the identification of traffic tracks from east to west and vice versa, characteristic of its mobility. Subsequently, the EXDE group carried out the technical review and controlled destruction of the explosive devices, eliminating the latent danger in the sector.
These results reaffirm the unwavering commitment of Colombian National Army to the protection of the inhabitants, the security of rural communities and the defense of the territory, while continuing to weaken the resources of illegal armed groups that use terrorist and indiscriminate methods, without any consideration for human life.
Source: Press – National Army
