Colombia: At least three people killed in attack in Antioquia Sep. 20

Event

At least three people were killed and three more injured in an attack by suspected former FARC militants in the town of Ochali, located in Yarumal (Antioquia department) on Thursday, September 20. According to local sources, the three victims were geologists working for a foreign mining corporation. Security officials have also announced that one person was reported missing following the attack. A heightened security presence in anticipated in the area in the coming days. Further attacks by former FARC militants are possible in the near-term.

Context

A peace deal between FARC leadership and the Colombian government was ratified by the Colombian congress in November 2016, officially ending an armed conflict that killed more than 260,000 people over five decades. However, some dissident ex-FARC militants remain active, notably in the Colombian-Ecuadorian border region.

Advice

Individuals in or planning travel to Colombia are advised to keep abreast of the situation. Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, and the ELN guerrilla group in addition to ex-FARC dissidents - Western governments generally advise against travel to various regions of the country, most notably most border areas on the frontiers with Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Panama.