Colombia soldiers kill 8 rebels
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-23 14:09

Government soldiers killed eight rebels and discovered a large cache of weapons in dense jungles of southern Colombia, a top military official said Tuesday.

Soldiers watch over weapons seized to rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, in Miraflores, 210 miles south of Bogota, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005. Government soldiers killed eight rebels and discovered a large cache of weapons in dense jungles of southern Colombia. [AP]

Gen. Carlos Alberto Ospina, the chief of the Colombian Armed Forces, called the rebel weapons seizure — which included machine guns and grenade launchers — one of the biggest since a military offensive began in the southern jungles more than a year ago.

The most recent clashes took place over the past two days in an isolated region of Guaviare state, 210 miles south of Bogota. They came in response to rebel attacks that have surged since Feb. 1 and left more than 60 soldiers dead, Ospina said.

He said government forces suffered no casualties in the latest fighting.

It is estimated that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which has been battling the government for 40 years, has between 12,000 and 17,000 fighters throughout the country.

Close

Today's Top News     Top World News
Beijing pushes for charter cargo flights across Straits         Bush threatens Europe on ending arms ban         Goliaths compete for nuclear plant pact         Strong quake strikes Iran, over 400 dead         US citizen accused of plotting to kill Bush         Medics venture into twilight zone	Al-Jaafari likely to be next Iraqi PM       Strong quake strikes Iran, over 400 dead       South Korea, US, Japan to discuss nuclear strategy       Europeans recall bad memories during Bush visit       Aceh rebels drop demands for independence       Al-Zarqawi tops U.S. list of most wanted