Armed men assassinated a soldier and injured another in north Colombia, less than two miles from where the military and FARC rebels are working on a pilot landmine removal project, according to the military.
The soldiers were part of the team that provides security for the project seen as one of the most important advances of ongoing peace talks with the FARC, 4th Brigade commander General Nestor Robinson Vallejo said in a statement.
Army and FARC begin landmine removal program in north Colombia village
A group of armed men attacked the two, killing one soldier instantly while leaving the other behind injured.
Colleagues were able to provide medical attention on the spot.
Vallejo wouldn’t say which group is held responsible for the attack.
In the area around Briceño, the FARC and the neo-paramilitary Urabeños are active because of the region’s importance for drug trafficking.
The landmine removal project carried out in Briceño earlier this year cost the life of another soldier who accidentally detonated a mine while trying to dismantle it.