By Deutsche Welle
05 Jul 2024, 01:18 AM EDT
Colombia’s army has confirmed that six soldiers have died in a rural area in the northwest of the country after falling into a minefield during clashes with rebels, AFP reported. “The platoon “fell into an area prepared with explosives,” they said.
Authorities said the fatal accident occurred during a relocation maneuver after an “encounter combat” with structures of the Central General Staff (EMC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Coposa area, belonging to the municipality of Valdivia in the department of Antioquia, according to a report from the Military Forces.
Four died at the scene of the accident
Four soldiers were killed instantly, while two were injured and later died. The army confirmed to AFP that the accident occurred after 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT).
Among the dead were five soldiers and a non-commissioned officer in charge of the platoon.
“The death of six soldiers in a minefield in Valdivia, Antioquia, is regrettable. More young people killed in the war of greed. My condolences to their families of decent Colombians,” wrote President Gustavo Petro on his account on the social network X.
A report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released on Wednesday says that in 2024, 117 people were victims of anti-personnel mines in Colombia.
Peace talks
The ELN commemorated its 60th anniversary on Thursday, July 4, and has been holding, amid setbacks, peace talks with the government of leftist President Gustavo Petro since late 2022. Experts believe that the attempt to disarm some 5,800 members of the organization is progressing very slowly.
The EMC is the largest group of dissidents from the defunct FARC guerrilla group, which broke away from the 2016 peace agreement between that rebel group and the government of Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018), and includes some 3,500 fighters.
According to the Petro government’s peace delegation, about half of them have withdrawn from the current negotiations, including Iván Mordisco, who until April 2024 was thought to be the absolute leader.
“The macabre alliance between the ELN and FARC dissidents has Antioquia and the country in mourning,” said the governor of Antioquia, Andrés Rendón, in a video posted on social media.
The official asked Petro’s government to end the ceasefire, which he considers a “deceptive mechanism” agreed upon with both structures for peace negotiations.
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