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(Credit: Daniel Martinez / AFP via Getty Images)
(CNN Spanish) ––
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano reported this Wednesday that forensic experts identified 21 of the 23 bodies found after the clashes this weekend in the department of Arauca.
According to the authorities, the January 2 confrontation between armed groups of the FARC and ELN dissidents was for the control of "criminal income."
Clashes between FARC and ELN dissidents in Arauca, Colombia, leave 23 dead
In a statement, the Defense Ministry detailed that among the dead there are two minors. He also indicated that 14 correspond to Colombian citizens, while the other 7 are from Venezuelans. Molano added that 8 of the deceased had a criminal record for different crimes such as "manufacturing, trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, domestic violence and lack of food assistance, personal injury, de facto injury, rebellion, extortion kidnapping, homicide, reception, escape of prisoners and taking of hostages ". In addition, among the first bodies identified were two leaders of the FARC dissidents structure 10.
As for the minors who appear among the fatalities, one was of Colombian nationality, female and the other, Venezuelan, male.
On the other hand, 625 soldiers of the National Army were deployed to critical points in the department to provide protection to the civilian population.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the forced displacement of some 52 families has so far been recorded.
Arauca Armed confrontation