March 17 (UPI) -- Ecuador's armed forces destroyed 129 illegal mining camps inside Podocarpus National Park, an ecological reserve in southern Ecuador near the Peru border, after a nine-day military operation that caused millions of dollars in losses to criminal groups, the Defense Ministry said.
The offensive, known as "Operation Podocarpus," sought to regain control of areas within the park that has been occupied by groups engaged in illegal gold extraction.
During the operation, troops destroyed 94 mine shafts and 56 crushing machines, and seized explosives, ammunition, communication radios, satellite antennas, generators and other equipment used in the illicit activity.
"The operations weakened the logistical capacity of these criminal structures," the Ecuadorian army said in a statement.
Military actions included ground operations and targeted strikes against illegal infrastructure, affecting about 321 acres inside the park, according to the Defense Ministry.
