Colombian defense minister condemns attack killing three soldiers, one civilian

2021-11-04 04:35:40 GMT2021-11-04 12:35:40(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

BOGOTA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano on Wednesday condemned an attack with explosives against an army patrol unit, which killed three soldiers and a civilian, and injured four others in the town of Paz de Ariporo in the east-central Department of Casanare.

"The killing with an explosive device of Corporal Edison Buitrago, soldier Diner Inocencio de Dios, soldier Brayan Esteban Morales, the other three wounded soldiers, as well as the deceased civilian and another wounded civilian, pains us to the core... A demented terrorist attack in Paz de Ariporo, Casanare," Molano said.

He sent a message of condolence to the families of the uniformed men who lost their lives, pledging permanent support for the military.

Molano also sent "a message to all the soldiers and policemen of Colombia: We continue on the offensive, relentlessly, to dismantle those criminal structures and illegal armed groups that seek to attack Colombians."

Army troops were at the scene of the blast to investigate who were responsible for the attack.

The 28th Front, a dissident group of the now disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was continuing its rebel activity against the government in the region, Oscar Gomez, Casanare's government secretary, told local media.

But he did not rule out the possibility that the attack could have been carried out by a different guerrilla group. Enditem

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