According to the Peruvian Ministry of Defense, since Thursday, the country’s army and police have been conducting an operation against members of the “Bright Path” organization, in the Viscatan region, in which they “attacked a series of terrorist camps.”
Two soldiers were killed on Friday in eastern Peru during an exchange of fire with rebels of the Shining Path organization, whose leader was “severely wounded”, the Peruvian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday.
Since Thursday, Peru’s military and police have been conducting an operation against members of the Shining Path (PF) in the Viscatan region (east), during which they “attacked a series of terrorist camps,” including the one where “Victor Quispe Palomino , also known as ‘comrade Jose,'” says a press release from the ministry.
“There are many dead in the ranks of the FM, especially in the environment of the leader of ‘José’, who was seriously injured,” the text continues. The army and police were able to seize during the operation “weapons, equipment, computers, many projects and documents”, according to the statement.
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said via Twitter that he “ordered the continuation of the investigation of the last terrorists”, stressing that his government “will not stand idly by”.
For his part, the Peruvian Minister of Defense, Jose Luis Gavidia, said that the operation was aimed at pursuing rebels in this area in the eastern part of the country where they have found refuge.
“They have been there for 12 or 15 years, the zone is difficult to access, there are traps and caves,” he explained to the N television network.
A soldier who was wounded by a bullet is hospitalized and his condition is progressing “favorably”, the minister clarified.
The National Defense General Staff expressed its “deep regret” over the loss of the two soldiers, an army officer and a navy officer.
In the district of Viscatan, where coca is grown and where the last elements of the Shining Path rebel group, accused of providing protection to drug traffickers, have found refuge, there have been regular army patrols for two decades.
In March 2021, the second in command of the Luminous Path, Jorge Quispe Palomino, or “comrade Raul”, brother of Victor Quispe Palomino, or “comrade Jose”, was killed in the same area.
The Shining Path, an armed Maoist organization, was created in May 1980. In two decades, the war between this organization and the army has resulted in the loss of 69,000 lives, according to data from the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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