From the early hours of October 12, Operation Perseo began, with the objective of recovering the town of <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/10/in-images-national-army-dismantled-the-dissidents-arsenal-in-el-plateado-cauca-after-operation-perseus/" title="In images: National Army dismantled the dissidents' arsenal in El Plateado, Cauca, after 'Operation Perseus'”>El Plateado, municipality of Argelia, in Cauca, from the control of the dissidents of ‘Carlos Patiño’. In the midst of the offensive, the military located and destroyed an arsenal of explosives.
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According to the Third Division of the National Army, in the midst of the operational deployment, the soldiers have destroyed in the last hours more than 170 artifacts explosives that had been stored in a home in El Plateado.
“These elements were packaged in drones by the ‘Carlos Patiño’ dissidents as defenses against operations, thus placing them in the middle of the population,” the Army explained.
Among the objects found were homemade grenades, anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices.
They also detailed that the actions of the last few hours have unleashed a series of harassment and attacks.
The most recent was carried out with a tatuco-type device and affected two soldiers. Although the condition of the two uniformed men is not serious, they were transferred to Cali to provide them with specialized medical care.
#OperationPerseus | The offensive advances firmly in El Plateado, #Cauca!
The continuous operational deployment allowed our soldiers to destroy in the last few hours more than 170 explosive devices that had been stored in a home in the township. These elements were… pic.twitter.com/rC0dAjmIrP
— Third Division of the National Army (@Ejercito_Div3) October 13, 2024
The harsh warning from the Minister of Defense
From the area, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, spoke before the media this Sunday. There, he told some details about the conversations with the community and the Government’s plans to maintain a presence, not only in the township, but throughout the department.
He explained that, in the midst of the tour they took through the township and the conversation with the community, there is a concern about productivity, work in the area and coca crops. “We have answered them: the entire project that is going to be developed in El Plateado is in agreement with the community. So, you can rest assured that this operation that took place these days and that will naturally continue with a very strong presence on the part of the Army, aims to stabilize the territory.”
And then, he sent a clear message to the dissidents: “The action of the Army, of the Military Forces with the National Police has been precisely to say to ‘Carlos Patiño’: Here we are and there is no room for both of us. And then, we are going to remove them from this territory, but this has to generate a benefit for the population, because it is not just that the public force appears, assumes control and the people are without anything to do or afraid.”
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