5 Colombian soldiers, 13 FARC rebels killed

5 Colombian soldiers, 13 FARC rebels killed

Colombia, October 18: The Colombian military says five soldiers and 13 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been killed in the past week.

The military launched an operation in a mountainous region of the Cauca department 10 days ago to “halt drug trafficking,” an unnamed military official told AFP on Saturday.

The army accuses the FARC of harassing several villages in recent months, including Corinto, Caloto and Toribio in the Cauca department.

Military leaders have warned that operations were ongoing around Corinto and other nearby areas.

The group, who has been battling the government in Bogota for 45 years, still holds 22 police officers and soldiers hostage and wants to exchange some for jailed FARC rebels.

—–Agencies