On February 26, 1991, a group of 40 guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who called itself the "
Simón Bolívar Command", crossed the border from Colombia to Brazil and raided the Traíra detachment of the Brazilian Army, which was in semi-permanent installations and had only 17 troops, less than the attacking guerrilla column. The action is regarded as the first attack on Brazilian soil since the 1864 invasion on
Dourados during the
Paraguayan War. The attack began during lunch time when the guerrillas first shot the two armed sentinels on duty, killing them at the same time with sniper shots. Then two different groups of attackers advanced on the compound while a third group provided cover fire. It was later revealed that the guerrillas had been in contact with two women who had been detained by the garrison previously for an investigation but were subsequently released. The two women, who were present at the time of the attack, helped the guerrillas identify key targets in the compound, resulting in a very effective attack. Intelligence operations claim that the attack was motivated by repression by the border detachment of
illegal mining in the region, one of FARC's funding sources. During the attack three Brazilian soldiers died and nine were injured. Two illegal Colombian miners who were detained at the camp also died. Various weapons, ammunition and equipment were stolen, and the radios used for communications were destroyed. The compound was very isolated, and now, completely cut off from headquarters communications. It was not until three days later, when a new detachment arrived to relieve the personnel on duty, that the attack became known to the Brazilian Army. ==Military response==