Leftist militants believed to be associated with the Shining Path group killed at least 16 people in Valle de los Rios Apurimac, Ene y Mantaro (VRAEM), one of the group’s last remaining strongholds. The murders come ahead of the presidential election on 6 June.

The militants reportedly targeted those intending to vote for conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori. Leaflets encouraging citizens to boycott the vote were also found at the scene, according to the military.

The threat from Shining Path, a Maoist rebel group now linked to drug traffickers, began to dissipate in the 1990s following the arrest and imprisonment of founder Abimael Guzman; in 2018, he was given a second life sentence.

Further unrest in the run up to the election cannot be ruled out.