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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Suspected FARC rebel attack kills eight Colombian police |
| 2008-12-06 |
| Eight Colombian police were killed and another wounded Friday in a suspected attack by Marxist FARC rebels in eastern Colombia, officials told AFP. The ambush took place early Friday in the town of Fortul, not far from the Venezuelan border, a police spokesman for the Arauca region told AFP. Gun-toting attackers "activated the device and finished the police off with rifle shots. They killed the commander of the station, the deputy commander, the secretary, two corporals and three patrolmen," said the spokesman on condition of anonymity. Another police officer was wounded and transferred to a local hospital. "It was a cowardly attack because they had a bomb ... This is not a form of combat, it is a cowardly terrorist attack," Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santo told reporters. Santo did not rule out that the attack may have been perpetrated by the National Liberation Army (ELN), a lesser-known rebel group. The incident occurred two days after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked another police patrol in the southwestern region of Narino, injuring two policemen. Santo told AFP the FARC "is surviving in very precarious conditions and the government is still ready to negotiate for peace ... but the guerrillas are not showing any signs they are willing to negotiate." The FARC still have about 7,000 members, Santo added. Non-governmental organizations put the number at some 10,000 men. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 well, FARC should see a real turn around in their fortunes come Jan 20... guess they are celebrating early P.S. The new comments tool looks nice. |
| Posted by: Abu do you love 2008-12-06 17:57 |