REPORT ON RESULTS OF MAJOR MILITARY OPERATION CONDUCTED BY TASK FORCE "LINCE" IN THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO AREA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06760265
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2021
• Case Number: F-2017-00184
• Publication Date: December 8, 1984

Approved for Release: 2021/04/27 C06760265
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Declassify On: MR, 20091208
F.s10
CORN
(S/ e1A--1001 islf) SUBJ: REPORT ON RESULTS OF MAJOR
MILITARY OPERATION CONDUCTED BY TASK FORCE "LINCE"
IN THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO AREA
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Published: 08-Dec-1984 13:07:00
Date Received: 08-Dec-1984 17:07:00
Coverage:
Region: COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
Publisher:
#1
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: CIA
#2
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Attachments:
Warnings8 IA-UOI 4F )-WARNING: INFORM TION REPORT, NOT FINALLY
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASS :; ge1< E T-ANNINTEL--NOFORN
DIST: 8 DECEMBER 194 COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR SUBJ:
REPORT ON RESULTS OF MAJOR MILITARY OPERATION CONDUCTED BY TASK F7CE
"LINCE" IN THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO AREA DOI.
SOURCr
SUMMARY: OPERATION "MAJOR JOSE ARMANDO AZMITIA MELARA" CONCLUDED ON 7
DECEMBER 1984 WITH THE EXTRACTION OF ALL ELEMENTS OF TASK FORCE "LINCE"
FROM THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO AREA. THE OPERATION, WHICH INVOLVED ELEMENTS
OF THE ATLACATL AND BELLOSO BATTALIONS, THE FIRST BRIGADE, THE AIRBORNE
BATTALION, AND THE LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE PATROLS, RAN SMOOTHLY.
WHILE THERE WAS LESS CONTACT WITH INSURGENT FORCES THAN HAD BEEN HOPED
FOR, THE OPERATION IS CONSIDERED SUCCHSS- FUL FROM THE ARMED FORCES
POINT OF VIEW IN THAT A DIFFICULT NIGHT MOVEMENT, LARGELY UNDETECTED BY
THE INSURGENTS, WAS COORDINATED AND CARRIED TO COMPLETION.
NF) SERIAL:
SE ET)
CIA-IUC NOFORN
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PASS: NSA FOR ZKZK 00 DLS DE (FOR NSOC): STATE FOR INR.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASS SECRE T--WNINTEL�NOFOIRN-
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DIST: 8 DECEMBER 1984
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COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: REPORT ON RESULTS OF MAJOR MILITARY OPERATION CONDUCTED
BY TASK FORCE "LINCE" IN GUAZAPA
VOLCANO AREA
THE
DOI
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SOURCE:
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AZMITIA MELARA" CONCLUDED
SUMMARY: OPERATION "MAJOR JOSE ARMANDO
ON 7 DECEMBER 1984 WITH THE EXTRACTION OF ALL ELEMENTS OF TASK FORCE
"LINCE" FROM THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO AREA. THE OPERATION, WHICH
INVOLVED ELEMENTS OF THE ATLACATL AND BELLOSO BATTALIONS, THE FIRST
BRIGADE, THE AIRBORNE BATTALION, AND THE LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE
PATROLS, RAN SMOOTHLY. WHILE THERE WAS LESS CONTACT WITH INSURGENT
FORCES THAN HAD BEEN HOPED FOR, THE OPERATION IS CONSIDERED SUCCESS-
FUL FROM THE ARMED FORCES POINT OF VIEW IN THAT A DIFFICULT NIGHT
MOVEMENT, LARGELY UNDETECTED BY THE INSURGENTS, WAS COORDINATED AND
CARRIED TO COMPLETION.
TEXT: 1. TASK FORCE "LINCE" CONCLUDED A MAJOR OPERATION IN THE
AREA OF THE GUAZAPA VOLCANO (1353N 8907W) ON 7 DECEMBER 1984 WITH
THE RETURN OF ALL DEPLOYED UNITS. THE TASK FORCE DEPLOYED AS
SCHEDULED ON 3 DECEMBER, FOLLOWING DECEPTION BROADCASTS BY THE
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER OF THE LONG RANGE RECONNA1SSAN
E P OLS
(PRAL) THE PREVIOUS DAY, TO MASK THE TROOP DEPLOYMENT.
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COMMENT: TASK FORCE "LINCE" WAS COMPOSED OF
280 HANDPICKED MEN
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FROM THE ATLACATL BATTALION AND 280 FROM THE
BELLOSO BATTALION,
SUPPORTED BY A BATTALION FROM THE FIRST BRIGADE
WHICH WAS TO ACT
AS A BLOCKING FORCE, AND THE AIRBORNE I3ATTALION AND PRAL ELEMENTS.
PRAL TEAMS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA ACTED AS GUIDES FOR THE INFILTRA-
TION OF THE ELEMENTS FROM THE ATLACATL AND BELLOSO BATTALIONS,
WHICH, AFTER AIRLIFT BY HELICOPTER TO GIJAZAPA VOLCANO, MOVED TO
DESIGNATED POSITIONS UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS ON THE EVENING OF
3 DECEMBER. THE DECEPTION BROADCASTS ON 2 DECEMBER WERE DESIGNED
TO MAKE THE INSURGENTS THINK THAT THE RIFLE COMPANIES FROM THE
FIRST BRIGADE, WHICH NORMALLY MAN SALVADORAN ARMED FORCES (ESAF)
1"0_ST_HONS ON THE VOLCANO, WERE BEING ROTATED OUT FOR FRESH TROOPS.)
COMMENT: THE INSURGENTS DID IN FACT INTERCEPT THE DECEPTION
MESSAGES, BUT THOUGHT THEY WERE A RUSE TO CAUSE THEM TO MOVE OUT
OF THE AREA. AT ABOUT NOON ON 3 DECEMBER, HOWEVER, THE INSURGENTS
SAW THE BLOCKING FORCE BEING MOVED IN BY TRUCKS AND MADE PLANS
VACATE THE AREA
THE ENTIRE
COMPLEMENT OF THE RAFAEL AGUINADA CARRANZA BATTALION OF THE ARMED
FORCES OF LIBERATION (FAL), SOME 350 COMBATANTS, AND 100 - 125
MEMBERS OF THE FARN'S CARLOS ARIAS BATTALION EXFILTRATED THE AREA
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ON THE EVENING OF 3 DECEMBER UNDETECTED AND UNCHALLENGED BY THE
ESAF.)
2. FROM ITS INCEPTION, THE OPERATION RAN SMOOTHLY, WITH
COORDINATION OF ALL ELEMENTS HANDLED CAPABLY BY TASK FORCE COMMANDER
COLONEL JAIME ERNESTO ((FLORES)), COMMANDER OF THE FIRST BRIGADE.
INITIALLY, THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES WITH COMMUNICATIONS, LARGELY DUE
TO THE TERRAIN, WHICH BLOCKED RADIO SIGNALS BETWEEN UNITS. THESE
PROBLEMS WERE QUICKLY OVERCOME, AND COMMUNICATIONS REMAINED EXCEL-
LENT THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE OPERATION. PRAL COMMUNICATIONS
TEAMS ESTABLISHED SEVERAL MOBILE INTERMEDIATE COMMUNICATIONS SITES
ON THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE VOLCANO TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATIONS
WITH DEPLOYED ELEMENTS OF THE TASK FORCE. ONE OF THESE SITES, ON
CERRO LOS GONCHOS, WAS AN INSURGENT OBSERVATION POST WHICH WAS
CLEARED BY AN A-37 STRIKE BY THE SALVADORAN AIR FORCE (FAES).
3. A TOTAL OF FOURTEEN 40-MAN TEAMS, LEI) BY PRAL MEMBERS,
COMMENCED NIGHT INFILTRATION FROM ATOP GUAZAPA VOLCANO ON 3 DECEMBER.
EACH TEAM HAD A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE TO OBSERVE AND REPORT ON. EACH
OF THESE OBJECTIVES WERE KNOWN INSURGENT BASE CAMPS AND LOGISTICS
POINTS AROUND THE VOLCANO. THE TEAMS HAD LITTLE DIFFICULTY IN
MOVING INTO THEIR POSITIONS, AND BY EARLY MORNING ON 4 DECEMBER
ALL WERE IN 'POSITION.
4. AT 0900 HOURS ON 4 DECEMBER, THE FIRST BRIGADE UNIT DEPLOYED
AT LOS ALMENDROS (1357N 8905W) REPORTED CONTACT WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED
INSURGENT UNIT, WHICH RESULTED IN TO INSURGENTS KILLED IN ACTION,
AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER WOUNDED, AND THE CAPTURE OF THREE WEAPONS.
THERE WAS ONE ESAF SOLDIER WOUNDED. THE INSURGENTS WERE DRESSED IN
CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS, AND HAD A 90MM RECOILLESS RIFLE AND RPG-2
ROCKET LAUNCHERS. AT 1315 HOURS ON 4 DECEMBER, A FAES 0-2 AIRCRAFT
SUPPORTING THE OPERATION SPOTTED AN INSURGENT COLUMN CROSSING A
ROAD THREE KILOMETERS EAST OF LOS ALMENDROS, AND THE PILOT DIRECTED
81MM AND 105MM FIRE ON THE INSURGENTS. WHICH RESULTED IN THREE
INSURGENTS KILLED IN ACTION. AT 2000 HOURS ON 4 DECEMBER A TASK
FORCE PATROL MADE CONTACT WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED INSURGENT UNIT AT
LOS PEREZ (1354N 8908W), RESULTING IN UNDETERMINED INSURGENT CASUAL-
TIES AND NO ESAF CASUALTIES. TASK FORCE ELEMENTS SIGHTED TWO
ADDITIONAL INSURGENT UNITS DURING THE LEVENING OF 4 DECEMBER, BUT
NO CONTACT WAS MADE.)
5. ON 5 DECEMBER, AT 0940 HOURS, ONE TASK FORCE UNIT REPORTED
CONTACT WITH AN INSURGENT PATROL AT LOS ALMENDROS, RESULTING IN
ONE ESAF WOUNDED AND AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF INSURGENT CASUALTIES.
AT 1400 HOURS, A TASK FORCE PATROL REPORTED TWO ESAF WOUNDED IN AN
ENCOUNTER IN THE VICINITY OF TRES CEIBAS (1355N 8908W), WITH AN
UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF INSURGENT CASUALTIES. AT 1930 HOURS AN
ELEMENT FROM THE ATLACATL BATTALION REPORTED TWO INSURGENTS KILLED
IN A CONTACT AT LOS RUANOS, TWO KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF GUAZAPA
(1354N 8911W).
6. BASED ON INFORMATION THAT THE INSURGENTS MIGHT HAVE SUC-
CEEDED IN BREAKING OUT OF THE BLOCKING; FORCE'S ENCIRCLEMENT, ON THE
EVENING OF 5 DECEMBER COL. FLORES ORDERED THE DEPLOYMENT OF ELEMENTS
OF THE BELLOSO BATTALION TO CONDUCT A SWEEP OPERATION TO THE NORTH
OF GUAZAPA, IN THE VICINITY OF LAS DELICIAS (1359N 8806W) AND
CONCEPCION CHAPARRAL (1359N 8804W). THE UNIT DEPLOYED AT 0300 HOURS
ON 6 DECEMBER, ASSISTED BY FIRE SUPPORT FROM A 105MM BATTERY, BUT
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MADE NO CONTACT WITH INSURGENTS. (b)(3)
6. ON THE MORNING OF 6 DECEMBER, A TASK FORCE PATROL DISCOVERED
TWO LARGE CAVES IN THE VICINITY OF MIRANDILLA (1355N 8906W), WHICH
CONTAINED FOOD AND WATER. AT 1500 HOURS THAT DAY, A TASK FORCE
PATROL AMBUSHED AN INSURGENT PATROL IN THE VICINITY OF MONTEPEQUE
(1353N 8905W), RESULTING IN UNDETERMINED INSURGENT CASUALTIES AND
THE CAPTURE OF A YAESU FT-203R TRANSCEIVER. AT 2300 HOURS INSURGENT
MOVEMENT WAS NOTED IN THE VICINITY OF EL PLATANAR (1357N 8904W),
AND AN 81MM MORTAR BATTERY CONDUCTED A FIRE MISSION; THE ROUNDS
WERE REPORTED ON TARGET, WITH UNDETERMINED INSURGENT CASUALTIES.
7.
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COMMENT: THE OPERATION IS CONSIDERED A SUCCESS FROM THE ESAF POINT
OF VIEW, NOT BECAUSE OF INSURGENT CASUALTIES -- WHICH APPEAR LOW --
BUT BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY OF THE ESAF TO COORDINATE AND CARRY OUT
A NIGHT INFILTRATION MOVEMENT LARGELY UNDETECTED BY INSURGENT
FORCES. IN ADDITION, THE DEPLOYMENT OF 40-MAN PATROLS, INTO WHICH
TASK FORCE "LINCE" SEARCH ELEMENTS WERE DIVIDED, MARKS A SIGNIFI-
CANT SHIFT IN TACTICS FOR THE SALVADORAN MILITARY. BASED ON THE
INITIAL RESULTS OF THIS OPERATION, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE HIGH COMMAND
WILL ENDORSE THIS SMALL-UNIT CONCEPT.)
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WARNING: REPORT CLASS SEC RE T--WARNING NOTICE--INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES OR METHODS INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS--
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PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT.
>NNNN
Collection: CC
Creator:
#1
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: CIA
#2
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
SECRE
CIA-IUO NOFORN
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Description: (S/
Language: eng
/CIA-1U0 NF) None
Precedence: 0
Source
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