Thirteen more members of the Colombian army were dismissed because of
their alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killings of civilians,
Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday. The victims were
later reported as guerrillas killed in combat.
The four officers, six non-commissioned officers and three soldiers are suspected of having murdered people from Sucre and Córdoba, Caracol Radio reported Saturday.
The sacking of the thirteen security officials is the second purge of Colombia’s armed forces within a month. 27 officials, including three generals were sacked because of allegedly having murdered civilians. Army chief Mario Montoya was forced to resign over the scandal.
Until recently, the Colombian government has always denied members of its security forces were murdering civilians to make their war against leftist guerrillas and right wing paramilitaries look more effective. Human rights organizations have denounced these practices for years.