Rebel group ELN has allegedly destroyed four trucks in western Colombia, disconnecting much of the region from the rest of the country.
According to the Colombian military, the attack occurred in the municipality of Tado, where a faction of the leftist-guerrilla group of the ELN is known to operate.
A similar attack occurred one week prior on the route between Quibdo and Medellin.
‘ELN rebels’ burn trucks, blocking road between Medellin and Quibdo
According to a statement from Command of Joint Task Force Titan alleged that the six rebels who perpetrated the attack were dressed in camouflage uniforms with insignia of the ELN .
“The guerrillas incinerated four vehicles, two Pegaso trucks, a tractor trailer and a cargo truck, that were driving on the road between Quibdo with Pereira,” the statement detailed.
The attack disturbed traffic for hours while as army troops arrived on the scene to search for evidence of explosives, establish order, and search for the perpetrators.
Quibdo, the capital of Choco, is connected the rest of the country by just two roads: one to the east toward Medellin, and another to the south toward Pereira.
These attacks come as the Colombian government has been engaging the guerrilla group in the preliminary conversations of a peace process.
In an interview with guerrilla-run radio last week the chief commander of the ELN, Nicolas Rodriguez, stated that these early stages of the talks have gone well – with “85-90%” of the agenda agreed upon.
The ELN (National Liberation Army) is Colombia second largest guerrilla group in Colombia, the largest being the FARC.
The group has been involved in Colombia’s armed conflict since it started in 1964, and announced informal peace talks with the government in June 2014.
