Colombia’s security forces struck a major blow against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) on Tuesday. Operation Avatar, carried out jointly by the army and air force, destroyed 32 rebel camps in the east Colombian department of Vichada, Semana reports.
The department is notorious as the site of large coca plantations. The camps reportedly belonged to the rebels’ 16th Front and were strategically positioned around operations of energy company Talisman. The guerrillas were apparently seeking to disrupt the activities of the Canadian firm.
Talisman saw 23 contractors kidnapped in this region earlier this year. Twenty-two of them were released a few hours after the kidnap, but one is still being held hostage.