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Two FARC rebels killed in fighting with Colombia army

Colombian soldiers carry the dead body of a soldier killed by the FARC rebels in Cauca department, Colombia, April 15, 2015. (© AFP)

At least two rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been killed in a gunfight with Colombian soldiers in the western department of Narino.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that the latest clash took place near the town of Tumaco, located about 605 kilometers (376 miles) southwest of the capital, Bogota.

The statement added that the body of one of the rebels was recovered but the other was “violently snatched away by the civilian populace.”

Soldiers also seized a grenade launcher, a mortar round, three handguns, and other munitions as well as 5.7 kilograms of cocaine paste from the scene of the skirmishes, the military said.

At least 44 rebels from FARC, Colombia’s main leftist rebel group, have lost their lives in ground and aerial assaults carried out by the government forces since May 21.

On May 28, at least six people were killed in violent clashes between army soldiers and FARC rebels in the oil-rich Arauca region near the border with Venezuela.

According to a military statement, a junior officer and two soldiers tasked with protecting the oil fields were killed in the fierce fighting with the rebels. Three FARC members clad in army uniforms also died in the process. The slain rebels were repeatedly preparing to launch an attack on oil installations in the restive region.

Arauca is considered a traditional FARC stronghold, and has witnessed a fresh bout of violence over the past few months.

(L to R) Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin, member of the Colombian delegation Sergio Jaramillo, Head of the Colombian Government Delegation Humberto de la Calle and Norwegian Guarantor Dag Nylander attend a joint meeting in Havana, Cuba, May 29, 2015. (© AFP)

 

Norwegian and Cuban mediators earlier expressed deep concerns over the peace process between the Colombian government and FARC rebels in the wake of a surge in clashes between the two sides.

FARC, Latin America’s oldest rebel group, has been fighting the Colombian government since 1964. An estimated 8,000 people are believed to be fighting for the group, which is operating in a large expanse of land in eastern Colombia.

According to Colombian officials, the fighting between government forces and FARC rebels holed up in the thick jungles and high peaks of the Andean mountains has claimed an estimated 600,000 lives and left more than 4.5 million people displaced.

MP/HSN/HJL


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