Peru Says Troops Drove Back a Colombian Armed Group on Its Amazon Border
PERU · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country Peru, a nation of about 34 million, shares a remote jungle border with Colombia. Much of it follows the Putumayo river, where Colombian armed groups tied to drug trafficking operate.
- Why it matters Peru has put its Putumayo province under a state of emergency. A joint military and police command there aims to tighten territorial control.
- What happened On Sunday 27 September the Defence Ministry said forces clashed with the Comandos de la Frontera near San Belín de Yaricaya. It said three fighters fell into a river.
- Who is involved The Comandos de la Frontera, which the ministry calls FARC dissidents formed in 2017. On Peru’s side, a joint command for the area known as CUPUMA.
- What it means for you Nothing changes for visits to Lima, Cusco or Iquitos. Anyone travelling near the Putumayo border should check official travel advice first.
- Still open When the clash took place, whether the three men in the river died, and whether any soldiers or police were hurt.
Peru’s soldiers and police clashed with a Colombian armed group on the country’s Amazon border, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. According to the ministry, the fighters fled and three of them fell into a river.
The ministry named the group as the Comandos de la Frontera, dissidents from the FARC, Colombia’s former Marxist guerrilla army. Colombia’s El Heraldo, carrying the EFE news agency’s report, and Peru’s La República both relayed the official account.
What the Defence Ministry reported
A joint unit of soldiers and police, the Comando Unificado PUMA, carried out an operation code-named “Zancudo” (mosquito), the ministry said. After intelligence work, the unit located the group near the village of San Belín de Yaricaya, in the Teniente Manuel Clavero district.
The clash “forced the criminals to flee”, the ministry said, and three of them fell into the Yaricaya river. It said security conditions and the depth and current of the river made a search for the bodies impossible.
On the Amazon border, troops then recovered an M16 rifle with magazines, two pistols, a grenade and ammunition, according to the ministry. It also listed Colombian-style army uniforms, medicines and tools.
Who the Comandos de la Frontera are
The ministry said the group emerged in 2017 and operates along the borders of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It linked the group to drug trafficking and illegal mining.
La República reported that it began as an alliance of FARC dissidents and La Constru, a gang rooted in former right-wing paramilitaries. According to the paper, it controls coca-growing zones and moves cocaine towards Ecuador and Brazil.
Colombia extradited its reputed leader, alias Araña, to the United States on 25 September. The Rio Times covered that in Colombia Sends Armed-Group Boss From Peace Talks to Face US Drug Charges.
A border under pressure
El Heraldo noted that the operation followed a Peru–Colombia border commission meeting, Combifron, held in Lima from 21 to 25 September. Peru’s Joint Command of the Armed Forces said the two militaries signed agreements there to deepen border security cooperation.
Putumayo province, in the Loreto region, has been under a state of emergency that puts the armed forces in charge of order. The Defence Ministry announced a 60-day extension in June.
In late July the government extended the emergency in Loreto’s border areas for a further 60 days from August, El Peruano and La República reported.
What Is Not Yet Known
The ministry did not say when the clash took place. Its statement mentions no casualties among soldiers or police.
Whether the three men who fell into the river died is unconfirmed, since no bodies were recovered. No account from residents or from the group itself had emerged by Monday.
It is also unclear whether the emergency, last extended in July, will be renewed again. Any link to the Combifron agreements is unstated.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on Peru’s Amazon border?
The Defence Ministry said on 27 September that soldiers and police clashed with the Comandos de la Frontera near San Belín de Yaricaya, and three fighters fell into a river.
Who are the Comandos de la Frontera?
A group the ministry calls FARC dissidents formed in 2017, tied to drug trafficking on the Colombian border.
Is it safe to travel to Peru?
Nothing changes for visits to Lima, Cusco or Iquitos; anyone travelling near the Putumayo border should check official travel advice first.
What is CUPUMA?
The joint military and police command for the Putumayo area, where Peru has put the province under a state of emergency.
Sources: Peru Defence Ministry, 27 September 2026; El Heraldo / EFE; La República; La Lupa; Joint Command of the Armed Forces (Combifron); Defence Ministry, state of emergency, June 2026.
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