Security & Strategic Review - January 2007

PERU | Sendero defies government offensive. On 16 December Sendero Luminoso guerrillas preempted the launch of the recently announced big government offensive against them in the Apurí­mac-Ene valley, ambushing an antinarcotics police patrol and killing five officers, two government officials and a civilian. Doubly embarrassing for the government was the fact that the attack took place in an area declared in a state of emergency and placed under military control in 2005. And on 12 January, Sendero struck again, killing two police officers in another ambush. The ambush took place near Machente on the rim of the jungle in Ayacucho department. The Peruvian media reported that the attack had been led by Jorge Quispe (alias Raúl), reputedly the third in command of the Sendero Luminoso (SL) remnants, after 'Artemio' and 'Alipio'. Defence minister Allan Wagner later identified the attackers as part of the 220-strong column led by 'Alipio'. The minister ordered a 500-strong combined military-police force to track down the attackers.

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