Attention: Two Police Officers Killed by Rifle Fire While Patrolling in Rural Ataco, Tolima

Two members of the National Police were killed by rifle fire in the rural area of Ataco, in the southern Tolima department of Colombia. The officers were on patrol in Santiago Pérez, a village located about an hour's drive from the main town. This region is known for the presence of dissident groups attempting to control illegal gold mining operations along rivers.

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Our sub-lieutenants were murdered by criminals while fulfilling their duty.

The victims were identified as Sub-lieutenants Yeiferson Meneses Aranda, 37, from Ibagué, and Edison Cuesta Forero, 42, from Quibdó, Chocó. Both served with the Tolima Police. General William Rincón, the National Police Director, stated that the officers were assassinated while on duty and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Authorities believe the attack was ordered and carried out by the Ismael Ruiz structure, a dissident FARC group operating in Tolima and the neighboring Huila department. This group reportedly finances its activities through extortion of merchants and control over illegal gold mining, particularly in the rural areas of Ataco.

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Those responsible will be found and will answer before justice.

A local resident, who requested anonymity, expressed fear due to the significant presence of FARC dissidents and an influx of outsiders and heavy machinery for gold extraction in the area. The governor of Tolima, Adriana Magali Matiz, condemned the attack, calling the perpetrators "simple assassins" and emphasizing that any attack on police is an attack on the state and democracy. She warned against complacency in the face of criminal structures aiming to sow terror.

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We are afraid because the presence of FARC dissidents in the municipality is high, and furthermore, this land has filled up with outsiders and heavy machinery used to extract gold from the Saldaña River.

In response to the incident and intelligence suggesting potential further violent actions, security measures have been heightened. Alfredo Bocanegra, the Tolima Secretary of Government, Security, and Public Order, confirmed the use of rifles in the attack and announced a curfew and dry law in Ataco. Security forces are conducting ground and air operations to apprehend the culprits and ensure public safety.

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These terrorists represent no cause or ideal. They are simple assassins who have made crime, fear, and blood their way of acting. And every attack against a police officer is an attack against the State, against democracy, and all Colombians who want to live in peace.