An alleged FARC sniper killed a policeman Wednesday in Colombia’s southwestern department of Cauca.
Another policeman was wounded in the fighting, according to police, which took place in the municipality of Jambalo, located 80km southeast of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city.
The FARC’s 6th Front and the Jacobo Arenas mobile column are thought to be active in the area.
Cauca, a traditional hotbed of FARC activity, has witnessed a spike in violence in recent weeks. A motorcycle loaded with explosives killed a nine-year-old child and injured five others in the town of Toribio July 10. Authorities pinned responsibility on the FARC’s 60th Front for the attack.
Following a visit from President Juan Manuel Santos the following day, 400 residents from Toribio’s indigenous population occupied a nearby military base in protest of the army’s continued presence in the region. Military forces reclaimed the communications base Wednesday, reportedly killing one person and injuring 23 others in the clash.