The National Army neutralized 49 antipersonnel mines that posed a threat to communities in Caquetá

During military operations, troops from the 19th Special Energy and Road Battalion, part of the 12th Brigade, carried out a controlled demolition of an illegal cache belonging to the Rodrigo Cadete structure of the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc in the rural village of Lusitania, Puerto Rico municipality, Caquetá.

At the site, authorities found 49 pressure-activated antipersonnel mines, three communication radios, two boxes of staples, ten meters of duplex cable, and four containers of gunpowder—materials used for the manufacture and installation of improvised explosive devices.

According to military intelligence, these explosives were intended to be used to hinder the advance of troops and sow terror in rural areas, posing an imminent risk to the lives of farmers, children, transport workers, and other residents who travel these roads daily.

Thanks to the rapid response and the intervention of personnel specialized in explosives, the material was destroyed in a controlled manner on site, averting a potential humanitarian tragedy and significantly reducing the terrorist capacity of this residual organized armed group.

Antipersonnel mines are weapons with indiscriminate effects, prohibited under international humanitarian law, which continue to claim victims even years after being laid. Their use poses a serious threat to communities and an obstacle to the development and stability of these territories.

The Twelfth Brigade will continue to carry out sustained military operations to neutralize the criminal capabilities of the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, protect the civilian population, and ensure the security of the department of Caquetá, reaffirming the National Army’s commitment to the defense of life, the rule of law, and the protection of the territory.