A report prepared by think tank Nuevo Arco Iris totaled 166 FARC attacks in the Cauca Department this year, and revealed new FARC tactics Thursday.
The report cited 28 attacks in Toribio, a southern Colombian town that was decimated by a bus bomb last weekend. The foundation argued that the FARC have increased their activity in this area to draw pressure away from the effort to capture FARC supreme leader Alfonso Cano in Tolima.
After the attack, Admiral Cely, commander of Colombia’s armed forces, arrived in Toribio to personally supervise anti-FARC operations.
According to the foundation, the FARC are operating in small teams of snipers and explosive experts. The report argued that the placement of an Army battallion in Toribio would likely restrict the FARC’s mobility, but would not put an end to targeted killings in the area as many other groups besides the FARC currently operate there.