Following the terrorist attack that took the lives of the two National Police men, David Reyes and William Bareño, after the activation of an explosive device in the vicinity of Camilo Daza Airport, in the capital city of Norte de Santander, the Minister of Defence, Diego Molano, summoned the highest civilian local authorities and the Military Forces to hold an extraordinary security council and determine the first operations in the area of law and order.
The authorities' first inquiries indicate that the terrorist activity that took place around the runway of the Airport in the city of Cúcuta has a pattern of execution similar to that of other criminal operations committed in recent months by Farc dissidents and Eln.
Minister Molano said that so far the only hypothesis by the authorities in charge of the investigation, regarding the possible target of the terrorist attack, is that potentially the target of the criminals could have been military aircraft that were on the runway of the Airport, and ruled out any possibility that the terrorist operation were directed against the life of the local Mayor. “The information we have by intelligence, which has already been validated, is that the attack was not directed against the mayor of Cúcuta specifically," the Minister said.
The head of the Defense ministry announced that within the framework of the Esparta Military and Police Campaign, an anti-terrorist strategy was created, through the activation of an intelligence bubble that will strengthen security in the metropolitan area of Cúcuta, in order to counteract the criminal operations by the armed groups that commit crimes in this area of the country.
In order to guarantee the tranquility and security of the Cúcuta metropolitan area, the head of the Defense ministry announced the reinforcement of the San José Plan for Safe Christmas with 100 additional members of the National Police and Military Forces. De même, il a été signalé que l'armée de l'air colombienne disposera d'un avion Bell 206, avec lequel des actions de surveillance et de contrôle seront menées sur la zone métropolitaine de Cúcuta, à l'appui du travail au sol de la police nationale et de l’Armée nationale.
In addition, the authorities decided to increase security in the perimeter area of Camilo Daza Airport, so it was established that a platoon made of 36 men of the National Army's Comandos contra el Narcotrafico y las Amenazas Transnacionales – CONAT - will arrive in the city to permanently reinforce the operation.
Minister of Defense, Diego Molano, sent a greeting of condolence to the families of the police officers of the anti-explosive group who lost their lives, he described them as heroes of the homeland, “the entire Police and the homeland pay tribute to them. They represent what the oath of a policeman means for the country.”
Finally, the Minister warned that “those who seek to frighten and generate terror through these operations, will be arrested and prosecuted as we have always shown,” said the chief of Defense, while recalling that those responsible for the attack on the 30th Brigade and the presidential helicopter, have already been arrested and are paying for their crimes, as a result of the successful investigation operation by the authorities.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office – Ministry of National Defence
