Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro came under fire after forensic investigators found that the army killed seven minors in a bombardment that also cost the lives of 13 alleged members of FARC dissident group EMC.

In a press statement, the director of the prosecution’s forensic medicine institute, Ariel Cortes, said that it received the remains of four girls and three boys who were killed in the military attack that took place in the southern Guaviare province.

Cortes said that his office forwarded its findings to the Prosecutor General’s Office, which could open a criminal investigation into the catastrophic “Operation San Oriel” that had been authorized by Petro.

The Ombudsman’s Office condemned the killing of the minors, who ought to be considered victims of forced recruitment.

In a statement, the Ombudsman’s Office stressed that State security forces must do everything in their power to avoid harm to minors and the civilian population.

In an initial response, Petro justified the operation, claiming that the minors were part of a group of 150 guerrillas that was on its way to a group of 20 soldiers that was stations in the region.

Of course, every death is regrettable, especially that of minors. But if Iv??n Mordisco’s 150 men were allowed to advance through the jungle, then they would ambush 20 young soldiers who were a few kilometers ahead. Perhaps today I would be criticized for allowing the soldiers to be ambushed.

President Gustavo Petro

The president said that he took the decision to bomb the guerrilla group despite a lack of intelligence on whether minors and children were part of that group.

“In the jungles of Guaviare, far from any populated areas and with little intelligence, we had to preserve, above all else, the lives of soldiers exposed to lethal offensive action,” said Petro.

The president’s response triggered a wave of condemnation.