One policemen was killed and three were injured on Wednesday amid ongoing attacks on security forces by the neo-paramilitary Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC).
According to local media, the group also known as “Los Urabeños” and “Clan del Golfo” carried out three attacks on police in the northwestern province of Antioquia, less than 30 miles from the province capital Medellin.
One attack took place in the village of Liborina, another in Anza and another in Belmira, all in the west of the province where the neo-paramilitary group is particularly strong.
The attacks followed three other attacks in Caceres, Valvidia and Dabeiba three days earlier. In one of these attacks two policemen were killed. The police wouldn’t say who was suspected to be behind these attacks.
The AGC began a counter-offensive targeting the security forces earlier this year after a dozen members of the drug trafficking paramilitary successor group were killed in a bombing raid.
At least nine policemen were killed in March and April and at least another four were injured.
The group reportedly even planned to target family members of members of the security forces.
Exactly like Escobar, Urabeños put target on Colombia’s cops and their families
Colombia’s military has been involved in major operations in Antioquia and the nearby Cordoba and Choco provinces in an attempt to arrest the group’s leader, “Otoniel,” but without result.
The group was former by members of paramilitary umbrella organization AUC that partially demobilized after striking a peace deal with the administration of former President Alvaro Uribe.
However, claiming they were deceived by the government thousands have since rearmed and have taken over the drug trafficking and extortion rackets left by the paramilitaries.
Since 2008, half a dozen paramilitary groups have emerged across the country, mainly in areas where illegal operations like drug trafficking and illegal mining are highly profitable illegal enterprises.
The AGC, by far the largest of these paramilitary successor groups, has grown to have more than 2,500 men, making it the largest illegal armed group after the FARC, the guerrilla group currently negotiating its demobilization.
If the FARC demobilizes, the AGC will become Colombia’s largest illegal armed group.
