MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Alleged Shining Path attack leaves 18 dead in Peru

Remnants of Shining Group have been operating in that area for decades, which functions as an armed protector of the region's cocaine producers.

A terrorist attack allegedly perpetrated by a column of the Shining Path group has left at least 18 dead in the Peruvian province of Satipo, in the Junín region, in the jungle Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro rivers, it was reported late Monday.

Police Commander César Cervantes explained at least 10 men, 6 women and 2 children had perished due to the strike in an area of bars and brothels where drug trafficking organizations are considered to exert overwhelming control.

Remnants of the once frightening terrorist group, many of which don't identify with the Shining Path anymore, have been operating in that area for decades, which functions as an armed protector of the region's cocaine producers.

Shining Path columns had warned people to stay away from the area and the attack was perpetrated in retaliation for their orders having been defied, according to a local news channel.

The images of the place show bullet casings and a pamphlet with the logo of the Communist Party of Peru, the official name of Shining Path, in the middle of a camp in the middle of the jungle.

This pamphlet would urge not to vote for presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori.

Shining Path, responsible for the highest number of victims during the internal conflict in the country between 1980 and 2000, had in recent decades led to a drug trafficking mafia and there had been no known attacks on the population for years.

Keiko Fujimori's national security adviser, Fernando Rospigliosi, shared on his Twitter account complaint report stating that the attack occurred on Sunday night against 18 people in San Miguel del Ene.