A FARC grenade attack on Colombia’s armed forces has left two civilians dead and at least nine others injured, reported local media Monday.
The assailants allegedly threw a grenade at a group of soldiers near a bridge in the town of Puerto Jordan, in the eastern department of Arauca (see map below). The attack, which took place at around 7:20 Sunday evening, has left two dead, including farmer Jose Guzman and his three-year old son.
The Colombian army has attributed the attack to insurgents from FARC’s 10th front. “The militants detonated a large explosive device within 50 meters of the bridge that is located at the main entrance of the village…” claimed Colonel Jhon Norbey Zambrano Gomez.
The army is now expected to transfer the wounded by helicopter to the San Vicente Hospital in the city of Arauca. Reports of how many were injured varied from nine to eleven.
There have also been heavy clashes between FARC’s 33rd front and the armed forces in the northeast department of Norte de Santander. Rebels allegedly placed explosive devices in an area called “La San Juana”, which leads to the Atlantic Coast. Consequently, the army has moved more personnel to that area in an effort to maintain security over the long weekend.