The security situation in Cauca worsened this past weekend as armed groups intensified attacks against the military and civilians. Authorities reported a series of confrontations in Toribío, Cajibío, and La Vega, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and the confinement of indigenous communities.
Attacks on Military Bases
One of the most significant incidents occurred early Sunday morning at the Cerro Berlin military base, located in the rural area of Toribío. According to the Defense Network of Life and Human Rights from the Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca, Acin, shots were fired at the installation, which sits on indigenous reserve land.
Residents of several hamlets, Berlín, San Julián, Potrerito, La Pila, and Natalá, were confined during the attack. The gunfire reportedly sparked clashes between the Army and members of the Dagoberto Ramos structure, a faction of the former FARC guerrillas.
The situation also generated concern among communities, as inhabitants of various veredas were confined by the confrontations. The military also reported combat operations in Cajibío on Sunday. Soldiers from the Third Division faced members of the Jaime Martínez structure, another dissident group, in the El Dinde rural area. The Army stated it was maintaining operational pressure to reduce the group’s capabilities and improve local security conditions.
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Drone Attacks and Fatalities
Violence escalated in La Vega on Saturday night. The Third Division reported that a drone carrying explosives attacked soldiers from the 29th Brigade in the Altamira sector. The attack killed professional soldier Luis David Arrieta Osorio.
The Army attributed the drone attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN), criticizing the use of unmanned aerial systems for their risk to both military personnel and civilians. Arrieta Osorio was the second military fatality in the region over the weekend.
Earlier on Friday night, on the Pan-American Highway between Popayán and Timbío, armed men attacked security forces in the Mi Bohío sector. Sargent First Class Ángel David Ordóñez Ortiz, a member of the Gaula police unit and native of Bucaramanga, was killed in that attack. The Army stated operations are ongoing to investigate and identify those responsible.
