Six Shining Path rebels were killed in a skirmish that left five soldiers wounded, in the south jungle of Ayacucho, in the country’s key coca growing region strategically known as the VRAEM.
According to a report in La Republica, one of the rebels killed by the joint military-police force is a Comrade Antonio, a middle-ranking leader in the Shining Path.
The military statement, according to the government news agency Andina, did not confirm this nor did it specify the number of Shining Path casualties, but reported that air and ground patrols were helping move the wounded out of the area. According to reports, the military were also able to capture weapons and ammunition left by the rebels.
A number of skirmishes have taken place in the Sivia area of Huanta in Ayacucho.
The Shining Path, described by the military as delinquent terrorists, operate as protection for coca growers and drug traffickers in the high jungle valleys of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers, now the main coca growing region in the country.
