Four alleged FARC members have been captured in the western Colombian department of Choco, where an “armed strike” was last week imposed by the rebel group.
The four were believed to be members of the Vladimir Urritia 34th Front who were captured during a battle with the Army’s 15th Brigade in the village of La Luisa, close to the border between Choco and neighbouring department Antioquia. The armed strike had previously imposed a transport ban almost severing ties between the two departments.
According to Commander of the 7th Division General Hernan Restrepo Giraldo, those captured included alias “Monin,” a guerrilla leader and instructor with the 34th Front for 14 years, alias “Sebastian” or “Tortolito,” who was wounded in a firefight with government forces, a head of logistics with 20 years experience and a female supporter of the network with a decade of involvement. It was also reported that a child had been taken into army custody.
As well as the captures, the army recovered various war materials, including rifles, antipersonnel mines, amunition and uniforms.
The armed strike was imposed by the FARC last week and is due to last until Thursday.
An armed strike is a freeze in civil activity imposed by an illegal armed group. Often it results in transportation links being closed down and commercial activity grinding to a halt. Some parts of Choco were previously affected by an armed strike imposed in January by the Urabe drug trafficking gang.
It has been speculated that the current strike is a show of force from the FARC, as they seek a stronger position at any future peace negotiations with the Colombian government.