The FARC are reportedly using 200 people as human shields in the north western part of the country reported El Espectador Monday.
More than 3,000 villagers are also in reported conditions of confinement because of the regional violence according to a Catholic church and representatives from two NGOs who issued a communication from Quibdo, Choco in the northwest of the country.
The crisis reportedly erupted Sunday when insurgents from the 34th Front of the FARC killed three civilians and a policeman and wounded three others in separate attacks on two civilian and one Navy boat on the Atrato river, the main waterway of Choco.
The NGOs are calling for “Urgent action addressing the current situation in Medio Atrato, where approximately 200 civilians, among those are counted leaders of Cocomacia, are held by FARC guerrillas in the middle of engagements between security forces, in the municipality of Medio Atrato.”
The NGOs asked President Juan Manuel Santos to prevent any military operations that would endanger the 200 hostages or nearby community members.
