COLOMBIA: Five soldiers killed in ”ELN rebel ambush”

Five Colombian soldiers have been killed and 10 wounded in an ambush which the army has blamed on National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels. A roadside bomb exploded as a convoy of soldiers was driving past in north-eastern Norte de Santander province. The government was holding peace negotiations with the ELN rebels until January when the […]

Five Colombian soldiers have been killed and 10 wounded in an ambush which the army has blamed on National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels.

A roadside bomb exploded as a convoy of soldiers was driving past in north-eastern Norte de Santander province.

The government was holding peace negotiations with the ELN rebels until January when the talks collapsed after a series of rebel attacks. The armed conflict has been running since 1964.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos condemned the attack [in Spanish]. Writing on Twitter, he called it “a cowardly attack on our heroes in Norte de Santander” and said that the government would “go after those responsible”.

Mr Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his efforts to reach peace with Colombian’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).