Six soldiers killed in southern Colombia guerrilla attack

Six soldiers were killed and another went missing in after an attack by FARC dissident group EMBF, the military said Sunday.

The guerrillas led by Alexander Diaz, a.k.a. “Calarca,” posted a video to social media in which they accepted responsibility of the attack and showing dissidents treating five soldiers that were captured after the attack.

According to the group, they killed and captured the soldiers in self-defense.

The EMBF added that they have been continuously attacked by the army, despite ongoing peace talks with the government of President Gustavo Petro.

One day after failing to extend a bilateral ceasefire earlier this month, the government ordered the suspension of “military operations and special operations by the National Police” against the EMB, and other FARC dissident groups involved in peace talks.

In response, the military stated that the soldiers were fulfilling their constitutional obligation “to protect and preserve the integrity of the national territory, guarantee constitutional and legal order, and ensure the necessary conditions for the exercise of public rights and freedoms.”

“These criminal acts demonstrate a failure to comply with the commitments made through the agreements,” an Army representative said.

Petro said on social media platform X that he would send a commission to investigate exactly what happened.

I am responsible for the life of every young person in the Security Forces and I want them all to return safely to their families.

President Gustavo Petro

The five soldiers captured in Sunday’s attack were returned to safety.

The military said that it was continuing operations in the Guaviare province to find the missing soldier.

Calarca’s organization has been actively involved in peace talks with the government as part of Petro’s “Total Peace” policy that seeks to amplify the ongoing peace process with the FARC, which was initially rejected by Calarca and some 20 other mid-level guerrilla commanders.