BOGOTA, April 21 (UPI) -- The wife and daughter of Colombian paramilitary leader Carlos Castano Gil have taken refuge in a military post and say they don't know where he is.
Castano Gil is the long-time political leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, a conservative group heavily involved in narcotics traffic.
The Army believes that rival paramilitary factions attempted to assasinate Castano Tuesday in Monteria in a clash that left three people dead. Castano Gil hasn't been seen since.
Gen. Luis Roberto Pico, commander of the 11th Army Brigade headquartered in Monteria, said that Castano Gil's wife, Kenia Gomez, and their 17-month old daughter, Rosa Maria Castano Gomez, had taken asylum in the military post, according to the daily El Tiempo.
Castano Gil's spouse and daughter arrived at the military post thanks to the intervention of the Catholic Church and the Office of the Public Ombudsman, which received a call from Gomez. Gomez had asked President Alvaro Uribe Velez for protection for her, her daughter, and their close relatives.
