Twenty alleged FARC guerrillas were captured in southwestern Colombia on Friday in an operation of more than 30 raids, according to local media.
The suspects have been accused of being members of the Daniel Aldana fighters unit of the FARC, active around Tumaco, Nariño, a Pacific port town close to the Ecuadorean border.
The Daniel Aldana unit is held responsible for recent attacks in Tumaco, one of which left part of the town without electricity for days earlier this month while others targeting the oil industry led to serious environmental damage.
Terror in Tumaco: Southwest Colombia city suffers multiple rebel attacks in 1 night
The alleged rebels were arrested in Tumaco. Among the captured was “Pupil,” a guerrilla in charge of maintaining contact with the unit’s civilian support network.
According to the authorities, Pupil was responsible for the attack on the energy tower.
The arrests came in lieu of a recent attack on security forces at an oil plant, which in turn led to an oil spill. The same rebel faction was reportedly responsible for attacks that left sections of the country without electricity. The attacks left several soldiers dead and wounded.
Dozens of explosives were seized in the raids, presumably preventing future attacks.
The FARC members will appear in court to face terrorism charges.
Sources
Van 20 guerrilleros de las Farc capturados en Nariño (El Tiempo)
Ascienden a veinte las capturas de las Farc en Nariño (W Radio)