VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #0542 1032010
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 132010Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0398
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 2293
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6495
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8230
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 3795
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1372
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR 5149
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 9705
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 2474
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 2317
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 000542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PTER KHDP PE
SUBJECT: SHINING PATH ATTACK KILLS 13 IN THE VRAE 
 
REF: LIMA 329 
 
Classified By: DCM James Nealon for reasons 1.4b and d. 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: Suspected Sendero Luminoso (SL) terrorists 
ambushed military patrols near Vizcatan in the VRAE April 9, 
killing 13 soldiers and injuring others.  It was among the 
deadliest SL attacks of recent years, and reflects a 
continuing pattern of terrorist retaliation for ongoing 
military operations in the area (septel).  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On Thursday morning, April 9th, Shining Path (SL) 
terrorists ambushed two military patrols in the Vizcatan 
region of the Apurimac and Ene River Valley (VRAE) and killed 
thirteen soldiers.  (Note: The VRAE is the base of operations 
for the most resilient faction of the remaining two armed SL 
factions operating in Peru.  The second faction operates 
further north in the Upper Huallaga Valley. Septel. End 
Note.)  The ambush occurred near the army base at Sanabamba, 
which the military established in September 2008 as part of 
its Operation Excellence action to take control of the SL's 
Vizcatan stronghold (ref A).  Although government troops have 
faced deadly SL sniper fire since the beginning of this 
operation, the April 9 attack was by far the largest and 
deadliest in this period. 
 
¶3. (U) SL launched the ambush by remotely detonating an 
improvised explosive device (IED) on the side of a hill in 
the path of two military patrols, which, according to press 
reports, were not following proper operational security 
precautions.  After the explosion caused a rockslide that 
crushed some of the soldiers in the lead patrol, the SL 
column attacked the survivors with gunfire and grenades. 
Twelve of sixteen troops in the lead patrol died in the 
initial battle.  The second patrol soon caught up and 
repelled the guerrillas, losing one soldier in the combat. 
There are reports of at least one soldier missing. 
 
¶4. (U) In a press conference, Defense Minister Antero 
Flores-Araoz called the attacks a "cowardly" response to the 
progress that the military is making in Vizcatan against the 
Shining Path.  He lamented that there will always be deaths 
in war, but vowed the GOP would continue the fight and would 
eventually win.  Prime Minister Yehude Simon likewise called 
the ambush a "desperate response" to military operations in 
the zone. 
 
Comment: Military in a Difficult Fight 
--------------------------------------- 
¶5. (C) The military's efforts against the Shining Path in its 
VRAE stronghold has made the troops vulnerable to attacks by 
narco-guerrilla forces that have thorough knowledge of the 
land and the ability to survive on the run.  Given the 
military's expanded efforts in the VRAE, SL harassment and 
more small-scale attacks, as well as occasional large 
ambushes like April 9, are likely to continue.  Military and 
Police officers we spoke with believe that SL is likely to 
continue using home made command-detonated IEDs made from 
dynamite and ANFO (ammonium nitrate fertilizer and kerosene) 
because they are cheap, easy to deploy, and hard to detect in 
the VRAE's jungle terrain. 
MCKINLEY