▁with ▁the ▁report ▁estim ating ▁that ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁cas ual ties ▁could ▁reach ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁Nue vo ▁Ar co ▁I ris ▁head ▁León ▁Val encia ▁considered ▁that ▁F AR C ▁gu err illas ▁have ▁react ed ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁successful ▁military ▁blow s ▁against ▁them ▁by ▁splitting ▁up ▁their ▁forces ▁into ▁smaller ▁groups ▁and ▁intens ifying ▁the ▁off ensive ▁use ▁of ▁anti - person nel ▁land ▁mines , ▁leading ▁to ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁a ▁further ▁" de grad ation " ▁of ▁the ▁conflict . ▁Val encia ▁also ▁added ▁that ▁both ▁c oca ▁cro ps ▁and ▁the ▁drug ▁trade ▁have ▁" double d " ▁in ▁areas ▁with ▁F AR C - EP ▁presence . ▁Research er ▁Claud ia ▁López ▁considered ▁that ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁is ▁winning ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁and ▁aer ial ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁inf antry ▁front , ▁where ▁both ▁the ▁F AR C - EP ▁and ▁EL N ▁continue ▁to ▁maintain ▁an ▁off ensive ▁capacity . ▁ ▁The ▁International ▁Cris is ▁Group ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁military ▁off ens ives ▁carried ▁out ▁under ▁former ▁President ▁Ál var o ▁Uri be ▁and ▁President ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁F AR C - EC ▁combat ants ▁being ▁reduced ▁to ▁around ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 , ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁the ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁combat ants ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁F AR C - EC