Colombia: Security forces kill nine ex-FARC fighters in Guaviare March 19

Event

According to Colombian security officials, at least nine ex-Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) fighters were killed in a military operation in the Calamar area of Guaviare department on Monday, March 19. The fighters were reportedly members of the First Front - a dissident FARC faction. Further military operations are possible in Guaviare department in the coming days and weeks.

Context

The First Front, led by Gentil Duarte, is a dissident Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) faction. It splintered from the FARC following a peace deal between FARC and the Colombian government in November 2016, officially ending an armed conflict that had killed more than 260,000 people over five decades.

Advice

Additionally, due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, and local gangs - many Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country (particularly rural zones).