▁that ▁F AR C ▁has ▁a ▁" strong ▁presence " ▁in ▁roughly ▁one ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁municipal ities ▁in ▁Colombia , ▁while ▁their ▁attacks ▁have ▁increased . ▁Over all ▁F AR C ▁operations , ▁including ▁attacks ▁against ▁security ▁forces ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁kid n app ings ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁land ▁mines , ▁have ▁increased ▁every ▁year ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁ 6 ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁the ▁F AR C ▁carried ▁out ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 , 1 1 5 ▁actions , ▁which ▁constit utes ▁a ▁ 1 0 % ▁increase ▁over ▁the ▁same ▁period ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁By ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Colomb ian ▁authorities ▁and ▁news ▁media ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁F AR C ▁and ▁the ▁c land est ine ▁sister ▁groups ▁had ▁partly ▁shift ed ▁strategy ▁from ▁gu err illa ▁war fare ▁to ▁" a ▁war ▁of ▁milit ias ", ▁meaning ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁increasing ly ▁operating ▁in ▁civil ian ▁clothes ▁while ▁hiding ▁amongst ▁sympath izers ▁in ▁the ▁civil ian ▁population . ▁In ▁early ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁army ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁F AR C ▁has ▁some ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁members , ▁with ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁those ▁forming ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁milit ias . ▁The ▁army ▁says ▁it ▁has ▁identified ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 , 4 0 0 ▁such ▁milit ia ▁members ▁in ▁the ▁F AR C ▁strong holds ▁of ▁Valle