Lima: Peru's military says Marxist Shining Path rebels have burned three helicopters owned by a gas pipeline consortium at a jungle airstrip.
The attack comes as US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is visiting Peru, but there is no immediate indication it is related.
Peru's joint command issued a statement saying that the attack occurred today in the town of Keteni in south-central Peru. There were no injuries. Officials did not respond to requests for more details.
The helicopters belong to the consortium known as Transportadora de Gas del Peru, made up of Argentine, US Algerian, Korean, French and Belgian companies.
The original Shining Path largely disappeared after police caught its messianic founder Abimael Guzman in 1992, but small remnants have been staging a comeback in recent years.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, October 07, 2012, 09:47