Fierce Fighting Break Out Between Government Troops,Guerrilla Forces in Colombia

Fierce fighting broke out Thursday between government troops and the two biggest guerrilla forces in Colombia, dampening the already deadlocked peace process in the country, said a press communique.

Government troops of Colombia encountered rebels of the biggest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Thursday noon on a highway near Guamal, Meta state, some 100 kilometers south of Bogota, capital of the country. Five guerrillas were killed with no casualties on the government side during the fire exchanges, said the communique released by the president's office.

On the same day,brief skirmish occurred between government forces and the second largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, in an area in the northern state of Santander, which has suffered frequent armed conflicts. The rebels began retreating to the mountain areas shortly after the combat broke out. Six guerrillas were killed and three others captured by the government forces during the fighting.

This is the second major conflicts that took place between government forces and guerrilla rebels this week. On July 2, a major battle broke out between government troops and the FARC forces in the southwestern state of Caqueta. Sixteen guerrillas and two government soldiers died in the conflict.

Colombia's civil war, the largest in scale and the longest ever seen in South America, have claimed about 40,000 lives during the past decade. Although the Colombian government has held numerous talks with the two guerrilla groups, a concrete agreement on ending conflicts and realizing peace is yet to be reached due to diverging views.

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