Colombian army deploys hundreds of soldiers in country’s southwest after land dispute leaves 7 dead

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombian security forces Friday flooded into the southwestern municipality of Silvia following a violent territorial dispute between two Indigenous groups the day before that left at least seven people dead and more than 100 injured.

The army said on social media that more than 500 soldiers, along with air support, would be deployed to the area to provide security for the communities and prevent the situation from escalating.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday provided news outlets with a preliminary toll of at least seven dead and over 110 injured - most of them by gunfire. "This figure could rise," he warned.

The clashes took place in a rural area of ​​the Cauca department between the Misak and Nasa Indigenous groups, both of whom claim ownership of the same territory.

Colombia's state-run National Land Agency said in a news release that since tensions first flared in April, it has participated in mediation sessions and technical working groups to "provide clarity regarding the territorial boundaries of the two groups." The agency urged both communities to remain at the negotiating table.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia on Thursday issued a call for calm to the communities and urged authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for causing the deaths and injuries.

Illegal armed groups are active in the region, including dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, that rejected the landmark 2016 peace agreement with the government.