BOGOTA - Colombian army killed 33 FARC rebels during a
gun battle in the country's Arauca province, military officials said
Wednesday, calling it one of the biggest strikes in years against the
leftist insurgency.
The authorities reported that the rout of the rebels in the joint air force and
army operation overnight was one of the hardest strikes
of the past five years against the FARC.
The operation was
carried out in eastern Colombia, in the region bordering Venezuela, and
occurred in the same area where over the weekend rebels with the FARC ambushed an army unit,
killing 11 soldiers.
Officials added that three other rebels were killed in Arauca Tuesday in confrontations with the army and four were captured.
The
FARC, Latin America's last major insurgency, said through a mediator
Wednesday it plans to release 10 military hostages, under a pledge
announced last month.
The rebel group announced last month it
would free the 10 members of the military and police forces that it
still holds and would and end the practice of kidnapping for ransom. The
group said Wednesday those releases would begin on March 26.
The FARC has continued however to be active in clashes with army forces.
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