At least five indigenous people were killed and six more injured as a result of an attack, staged by an armed group in the municipality of Tacueyo, the southwestern Colombian province of Cauca, the national army said, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
“Today in the evening, five indigenous guards were killed by alleged members of an organized armed group … in [the municipality of] Tacueyo, Cauca”, the Colombian Army said in a statement on Tuesday.
The army added that it maintained contact with the indigenous community and boosting its presence in the area.
Various indigenous organizations reported about a smaller number of victims, adding that the list of the killed people included a local spiritual leader.
According to the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), the assailants laid an ambush for a vehicle of the indigenous authorities.
ONIC believes that the attackers may have links to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group, which reached a peace agreement with Bogota in 2016, putting an end to the 52-year-long armed conflict.