Minute30.com .- Moments of terror were experienced by the inhabitants of the municipality of Suárez, in the north of Cauca, on the afternoon of this Sunday, December 21. While the community was peacefully participating in a sporting activity, alleged members of the residual organized armed group (GAO-r) Jaime Martínez Structure launched an armed attack that put the lives of dozens of civilians at risk, including children and families who were enjoying the day.

Thanks to the strategic presence of the troops of the 13th Land Operations Battalion, attached to the Twenty-ninth Brigade, an immediate reaction was achieved that prevented a possible tragedy in this critical point in the southwest of the country.

An immediate response to protect life

According to the official report of the Third Division of the National Army, the uniformed men repelled the attack tactically, managing to contain the advance of the criminals and providing cover to the citizens who were in the sports arena.

Civilian population flees harassment by dissidents during a soccer match. Video captures

“The immediate action of our units made it possible to protect the lives of citizens and contain the threat in this municipality in northern Cauca,” the military authorities reported through their official channels. The harassment, which generated anxiety among the attendees, was neutralized without any preliminary reports of civilians being injured during the exchange of fire.

Reinforced presence in northern Cauca

After the incident, the National Army has intensified its operations in the urban area and rural areas of Suárez. The main objective is to locate those responsible for this attack, who are part of the “Jaime Martínez” structure, one of the most violent factions of the dissidents that operate in the region and that frequently threaten the tranquility of the ethnic and peasant communities of the sector.

The troops of Brigade 29 maintain a reinforced security device with the purpose of preserving tranquility during the rest of the Sunday day and ensuring that the social and economic activities of the municipality are not truncated by the actions of illegal armed groups.

Cauca under the shadow of violence

This new attack against the civilian population in the midst of healthy recreation activities once again raises alarm bells about the vulnerability of the communities in northern Cauca. Human rights organizations have reiterated the need to protect civil and sporting spaces, which must be considered territories of peace and separate from armed conflict.

From Minuto30, we continue to monitor the situation in Suárez and northern Cauca, a region that continues to be the scene of a complex struggle for territorial control but where the institutional presence seeks to restore hope to its inhabitants.