Teachers took shelter on the ground during an attack by dissidents in Potrerito, Jamundí

The inhabitants of the town of Potrerito experienced moments of panicin the municipality of Jamundí, south of Valle del Cauca, after this Tuesday afternoon armed harassment against the Police substation in this rural sector.

According to the first reports, armed men belonging to the residual group Jaime Martínez, of the FARC dissidentsattacked the police unit with rifle rounds and grenades, generating an intense exchange of shots that lasted for several minutes.

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The situation caused fear and chaos among the inhabitantswho were left in the middle of the crossfire. In videos recorded by the community and spread on social networks, several people can be seen trying to take shelter while the explosions are heard.

One of the most worrying events occurred at the Alfonso López Pumarejo Educational Institution, where teachers and students had to throw themselves on the ground to protect themselves before the exchange of gunshots that could be heard near the campus.

“They are shooting here, close to the school… Turn off the light and let’s stay on the ground,” is what is heard in the videos.

Local authorities confirmed that, Once the harassment stopped, the presence of the Army and Police in the area was reinforced in order to guarantee the safety of the inhabitants. and carry out search operations for those responsible, which is why the ‘lock plan’ was activated, managing to repel the attack.

Likewise, from the Jamundí mayor’s office, it was confirmed that There are no reports of police or civilian injuries.

“The Mayor’s Office of Jamundí rejects the events that occurred in the town of Potrerito, where harassment against the Police Station was recorded. No injuries reported. The Public Force reports that the situation was controlled and the defense plan was activated. The Air Force overflight and the presence of the Army in the area are maintained, guaranteeing the safety of the inhabitants. The Municipal Administration calls for calm and informs that the authorities continue in the place carrying out the corresponding work to maintain order and tranquility in the territory,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

It is worth mentioning that, At night, according to local residents, bursts of fire were heard in the heart of the town.once again generating panic among the inhabitants.

This new attack adds to the series of violent events that have been occurring in the rural area of ​​Jamundíwhere illegal armed groups maintain a dispute over territorial control and drug trafficking routes.

Among them was the one that occurred last Monday, November 10, in the town of Robles, where the Cali Metropolitan Police, which has jurisdiction in Jamundí, confirmed a new attack.

On this occasion, He threw a grenade at the Police substation, where community leaders and members denounced the attack.pointing out explosions from devices dropped from drones.

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Given this attack, There was no official report of injuries or loss of life, nor damage to infrastructure.

The Robles substation has already been the victim of attacks with explosives so far in the last month. The first happened last Thursday, October 9, when FARC dissidents launched two cylinder bombs. The attacks left between four and nine people injured, structural damage to nearby residences and some material damage inside the police station, but no fatalities and the second on October 31, in which the substation received an attack with drones loaded with explosives.