A terrorist attack in Peru ahead of presidential elections kills 14

At least 14 people, including two children, have died in a remote region of Peru known for coca production, the military said on Monday less than two weeks before voters go to the polls for a presidential run-off. Peruvian police chief César Cervantes told that at least 18 people had been killed, while the army said in a statement that there were 14 victims. "I strongly condemn the killings of these 14 people," Interim Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti tweeted on Monday, saying he had ordered army and police patrols in the area "so that this terrorist act would not go unpunished." The killings took place in a community in Vizcatan de Ene, in an area of ​​the Peruvian Amazon that authorities say is used as a refuge by remnants of the Shining Path movement that fought against the government in the 1980s and 1990s.

According to authorities, the mountainous region is Valle de los Rios Apurimac, Ene y Mantaro (VRAEM) where 75 percent of the cocaine is produced in the South American country. Police accuse Shining Path of acting as a 'bodyguard' for drug dealers.

"There are probably more deaths," Cervantes told RPP radio yesterday.

The military accused Shining Path of being responsible for the killings, which had been described as a genocide. But UN statement also assured the Peruvian people of a "safe election process". The United Nations condemned 'the murder' and expressed its solidarity with the victims and their families.

"In the context of the ongoing election process, we call on all actors to act responsibly and avoid hate speech that increases tensions," the UN office in Lima said in a statement.

Peru will hold elections in less than two weeks, with left-wing leader Pedro Castillo set against right-wing Keiko Fujimori.

Castillo wins field ahead of Fujimori ahead of the June 6 vote, securing 44.8 percent support in a poll released Sunday by the Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP), compared to 34.4 percent for Fujimori.