At least three adults and one child were injured when Colombia’s armed forces opened fire upon a group of civilians in the southern department of Caqueta.
Armed forces admitted to the apparent accident in San Vicente del Caguan, stating that at around 7PM Monday evening ground combat troops of the 134th battalion began firing upon a vehicle carrying eight civilians.
Six of the civilians were from the same family, including two minors.
The army statement claims that the armed assault on the car was “apparently due to an unavoidable error,” taking place while the soldiers were searching for guerrillas belonging to the Teofilo Forero column of the FARC.
The remaining passengers were treated for minor injuries but have already been released.
The more seriously injured, including a toddler who was shot in the buttocks and hips, were taken to the nearest army medical clinic before arriving at a hospital in the town of Florencia shortly after 11PM.
A press statement was quickly released by the army, offering apologies to the families for the “error,” and lamenting the actions that took place, newspaper El Espectador reported Tuesday morning.