11 Colombian marines killed in ambush
( 2003-06-25 10:14) (Agencies)
Rebels ambushed a military vehicle escorting a truck convoy along a northern
Colombian highway Tuesday, killing 11 marines and injuring eight others, the
navy said.
The rebels hurled grenades and opened fire on the marines' vehicle, but left
the trucks unharmed, the navy said.
Authorities blamed Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for the attack. The leftist FARC is waging a
39-year civil war against the Colombian government and right-wing paramilitary
groups.
The convoy was driving along a highway that winds its way from the nation's
Caribbean Coast to the center of the country. The attack took place in the
northern state of Bolivar, where rebels are battling security forces for
control.
Also on Tuesday, the army said it had killed one illegal paramilitary fighter
and captured 34 others during 10 days of a military offensive in central
Colombia. Army troops also discovered a helicopter with Colombian Air Force
logos on it in a paramilitary camp in the region.
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