Cali: Ten alleged leftist guerrillas were killed and three wounded on Thursday in clashes with soldiers in a mountainous region in western Colombia, local military officials said.
Rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) clashed with a combined Army-police force in a remote area between the Cauca and Choco departments, said General Jairo Erazo, commander of the brigade deployed to the area.
The three wounded rebels were treated and another captured, said Erazo.
In the operation, government forces captured grenade launchers, automatic weapons, pistols and ammunition.
The four captives were handed over to civilian authorities for prosecution, Erazo said.
The FARC is the country's oldest and most numerous guerrilla force, believed to have some 8,000 members. The group has been at war with the government for 46 years.
The FARC lost 40 fighters in January and February, the Defence Ministry said, adding that the guerrillas lost 507 rebels in all of 2010.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, March 25, 2011, 15:32