A professional service member from Colombia was killed by a sniper amid ongoing security operations in a rural sector of the town of San Calixto, with military officials confirming the incident on Thursday. The tragedy unfolded as troops from the nation’s armed forces conducted registration and control activities in the area, facing harassment that underscores the dangers faced by personnel working to maintain order in challenging terrains along the Catatumbo frontier. Details indicate the fatal event occurred in a zone where disciplined, follow-up work by soldiers is essential to deter violence and protect local communities from ongoing threats in the region.
The Army’s 3 Rapid Deployment Force, a component of the Second Division, released a statement describing how the unit was harassed by individuals linked to an armed group allegedly associated with the National Liberation Army. The confrontation took place in the hamlet of La Taya, part of San Calixto in Norte de Santander. The fallen professional soldier, Jhony Alexander Salazar, sustained fatal injuries in the area and was transported to a medical facility. Reports note that another soldier was wounded in the encounter, highlighting the high-risk environment in which security forces operate as they attempt to secure rural corridors and support civilian authorities during routine operations. The incident follows another fatal shooting of a police officer by a sniper during similar rural activities in nearby Sardinata, illustrating a broader pattern of asymmetric threats facing law enforcement and military personnel in the region.
Sardinata and San Calixto lie within the Catatumbo region, a broad area spanning more than ten thousand square kilometers that remains largely forested and challenging for sustained security operations. Catatumbo is home to several municipalities, including Ábrego, El Tarra, Tibú, El Carmen, Convención, Teorama, Hacarí, and La Playa, all of which are intertwined with a complex security landscape. The area has long been a contested space among violent actors, including the National Liberation Army, various FARC factions, and other insurgent or criminal groups such as the People’s Liberation Army, along with diverse criminal networks. The region has gained notoriety as a major route for coca cultivation and related illicit activities, creating a volatile backdrop for military and police efforts aimed at disrupting trafficking corridors and stabilizing communities living in the grip of organized crime and conflict.