Colombia’s National Police offered a $47,000 reward on Monday to find the killers of two policemen who were shot in central Colombia while attending a disturbance.
Local authorities reported that the two officers were gunned down in the street by an unknown assailant after responding to reports of a disturbance in Chaparral, Tolima at around 1.30AM early Saturday morning.
Police are unsure if the attack was a case of unplanned violence, or whether the FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group, set a trap.
The FARC recently began a renewed offensive in and around Tolima, which was linked to the third anniversary of the death of their former Bloc commander “Alfonso Cano,” who was killed by government forces on November 4, 2011.
Local authorities are on high alert for FARC activity in the area after three cars were hijacked and filled with explosives, and a bus was spray-painted with a message in memory of Cano by armed and masked FARC members last week.
Additionally, tensions with local indigenous communities rose after guerrillas killed two indigenous guards that were trying to prevent guerrillas from putting up a poster to commemorate the slain rebel leader.
MORE: Indigenous Community Sentences FARC ‘Killers’ To Decades In Prison
Local police authorities have offered a reward of $47,000 for information which leads to the arrest of those responsible for the murder of the two officers.
The reward was announced by the operational commander of the Tolima Police , Colonel Nelson Quinonez , following a security meeting held between the Mayor of Chaparral and representatives of the Army and Police.
Local authorities also plan to distribute more than 2,000 leaflets around the local community to raise public awareness and appeal for assistance in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Sources
- Ofrecen 100 millones de pesos por pistas sobre asesinato de policías en Tolima (W Radio)
- Farc retuvo carro del Comité de Cafeteros en el Tolima (El Colombiano)
- Asesinan a dos policías en el sur del Tolima (El Espectador)