Peruvian authorities announced that five soldiers were killed when they tried to flee across the Ilave River, as they say they were attacked by stone-wielding protesters in the Puno region.

The Department of Defense has reported the appearance of the patrol’s bodies in the tributary of Lake Titicaca.

“Today we fly our flag at half-mast as a sign of mourning and respect in memory of our brave Army Corporals Franz Canazas, Alex Quispe Serrano, Elvis Pari and Private Elías Lupaca,” the authority said on Twitter before the appearance of the fifth deceased. . .

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In a video that went viral, several soldiers can be seen wrapped in blankets in circles and recounting what happened. “We crossed the river (…) because we had nowhere else to escape. There were between 800 and 900 people who surrounded us and started throwing stones at us (…) People called us corrupt and murderers,” said soldier Vilca.

He added that they tried to make a human chain but were swept away by the force of the water and also by the attack of protesters.

The patrol was heading from Ilave to the town of Juli, also in Puno, where fighting broke out on Saturday, injuring at least 16 civilians and soldiers and setting fire to a police station.

One of the rescued soldiers said that the bulletproof vest and ammunition they weighed more, so their companions could not swim.

Peru has been in a confrontation between the armed forces and part of the population for several months after the demonstrations for the departure of Pedro Castillo.

The demonstrators are demanding Boluarte’s resignation, the closing of the Congress and bringing elections forward to 2023.