Colombia experienced a series of assaults Thursday night and Friday morning, marking the first major offensive against its military since a faction stemming from the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced its intention to escalate activities earlier this week.
The attacks, occurring in the strife-ridden southwest region, involved explosives and firearms, resulting in one soldier sustaining injuries, as reported by the army.
A ceasefire between the armed group, referred to as FARC dissidents, and government forces was recently halted following accusations from President Gustavo Petro’s administration that the dissidents breached the truce by attacking a rural Indigenous community in the same area where the recent assaults transpired.
This development poses a significant setback for Petro, a leftist and former guerrilla leader, who campaigned on a platform promising to achieve “total peace” in a nation long plagued by violence.
The wounded soldier was stationed at a military base in Tumaco, a focal point for armed factions in the southwest, and was injured by shrapnel from a grenade thrown by an individual on a motorcycle—an incident currently under investigation.
Shortly prior, another explosive device was detonated outside a military installation in the city of Cali, though causing no injuries. The army attributed this attack to FARC dissidents.
Major General Erik Rodriguez Aparicio explained to journalists on Friday morning that the attackers’ modus operandi involved bringing a vehicle near the military compound and activating a charge to detonate explosives inside, characterizing the assault as a response to the military’s intensified operations against two factions of FARC dissidents in the regions of Valle del Cauca, Nariño, and Cauca, known as the Segunda Marquetalia and Estado Mayor Central.
A third incident occurred early Friday in a rural area of Jamundí, approximately 15 miles from Cali, where armed assailants opened fire at a police station from mountainous terrain.
According to police reports, reinforcements were requested from the army, but the police station came under attack from mafia members hurling gas cylinders filled with explosives and shrapnel.
The emergence of FARC dissidents followed the unraveling of the landmark 2016 peace accords between guerrillas and the government, leading to a resurgence in violence as former rebels returned to armed conflict. This group, along with other narco-trafficking militias, has exacerbated Colombia’s ongoing struggle with violence, despite efforts by Petro’s administration to address root causes such as poverty and negotiate peace agreements with certain armed factions.
However, violence persists, with various militias exploiting ceasefires to expand their territorial control and bolster illicit activities.
