Colombia: at least six dead and several others seriously injured in an armed attack

Colombia is facing its worst wave of violence in a decade, with assaults by guerrillas and other groups terrorizing the population, particularly in remote areas.

At least six people were killed and several others “seriously injured” in an attack on Thursday in a rural area in southwestern Colombia, under pressure from armed groups involved in drug trafficking, authorities said. Colombia is facing its worst wave of violence in a decade, with assaults by guerrillas and other groups terrorizing the population, especially in remote areas.

Armed men with “short and long-range weapons” arrived in two vans at a property near the city of Popayán, in the Cauca department, and opened fire on several people, described Felipe Acosta, municipal secretary, in a press release.

Support from the army

The attackers “killed a person who was outside and five others who were inside” the property, he added. In this region, dissidents of the former FARC guerrilla group and other illegal groups operate. Authorities currently have no clear leads and are waiting for the police to enter the area with the support of the army.

This incident brings the total number of killings recorded in the country this year to 36, according to the Institute for the Study of Development and Peace. This is a record figure since the signing of the peace agreement between the FARC and the government in 2016. Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s left-wing president, came to power in 2022 with the goal of signing a peace agreement with all armed groups in the country. However, four months into his term, no significant progress has been made in this direction.