Presumed FARC rebels have killed two soldiers and wounded one more near a hydro-electrical construction site in Colombia’s northwestern Antioquia department, local media reported Sunday.
The attack took place near the Cauca River between the Ituango and Toledo municipalities, where the Colombian state is currently constructing the Hidroituango hydrolectrical dam, a mega-project estimated to cost some $2 billion.
The rebels killed the soldiers with sniper rifles, local authorities said according to Caracol radio.
“There are various points and the troops were guarding them and from the mountains they [FARC] shot at them,” Antioquia’s government secretary Santiago Londoño told newspaper El Colombiano.
The wounded soldier was transferred two the city of Medellin for further treatment.
Authorities blamed the FARC’s 18th Front for the attack.
Hidroituango is considered the most ambitious hydro-electrical project in Colombia. Due to its economic value, the project is frequently targeted by FARC rebels, who are trying to disrupt crucial economic infrastructure as a part of their 48-year-long war against the Colombian state.
FARC and ELN rebels have launched a total of 48 attacks against civilian and military targets during the first 13 days of August, according to statistics compiled by Colombia Reports.