Colombia’s Armed Forces found and dismantled seven FARC camps in the country’s central state of Meta, the National Army announced Thursday in a communique.
The Rapid Deployment Force, a unit of the Colombian Army specializing in combating subversive groups, found seven camps allegedly belonging to the country’s largest rebel group, FARC.
According to the officials, five camps were found next to the municipality of Uribe and two were found near to the municipality of La Macarena.
Two camps found in the urban stretch of Platanillo had the capacity to shelter 150 guerrillas and 15 guerrillas respectively. The army also found one ton of provisions in one of the camps next to Platanillo’s urban stretch.
According to the army, these two camps belonged to the Felipe Rincon front of the FARC.
In the urban stretch of Papaneme, the brigade found and destroyed a camp with a housing capacity of 15 people.
In the National Natural Park of Serrania de Los Picachos, in the municipality of Uribe, the Rapid Deployment Force found a camp capable of housing 40 people.
In the same municipality, Uribe, the army found a camp with the capacity of sheltering 50 people, and it is believed to belong to the FARC’s 55th Front.
The other two camps destroyed were found in the municipality of La Macarena and together they had the housing capacity of 70 rebels.
“The Rapid Deployment Force reiterates the civilian population of this region of the department of Meta to stand firm in the conduct of military operations, allowing to continue guaranteeing the free development of the rights of its citizens, neutralizing the criminal actions of the structures of the eastern block of the FARC offenders in the area,” the army said in the communique.
Although peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC have been underway since November, 2012, President Juan Manuel Santos reaffirmed that he would continue to combat the FARC militarily until a final peace accord had been struck.
MORE: Santos reaffirms commitment to military offensive until FARC peace treaty is signed
Sources
- Siete campamentos y una tonelada de víveres del bloque oriental de las Farc ubicados en el departamento del Meta (National Army Official Webpage)