Alleged FARC guerrillas detonated explosives at a military post in the southwestern department of Cauca, amid ongoing clashes between rebels and security forces.
The fighting invovled the Colombian Army’s 14th Mobile Brigade and centered around the town of Caloto, with over 500 residents displaced and awaiting humanitarian aid.
“The inhabitants of the district decided to leave their homes following the armed conflict that is currently occurring between military forces and guerrillas of the FARC’s 6th Front in this region of northern Cauca department,” said Hernando Hernandez, representative for Colombia’s indigenous people in Congress.
The military sought to stabilize the area by bringing in tanks and heavy weaponry, following the explosions.
According Manuel Rodriguez, a community leader in the township of El Paloto, 179 families left their homes and one woman was “seriously injured” in fighting.
Caloto has been a flash point for violence in recent months, with 262 people displaced in February alone.