A leftist rebel group attacked soldiers destroying cocaine laboratories in southern Colombia, killing four people and leaving six others missing, including a French journalist, authorities said.
The attack by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC, took place in Caqueta province, the nation's defense ministry said Saturday.
A sergeant, two soldiers and a national police officer were killed, the ministry said. In addition to the journalist, four soldiers and a national police officer are missing.
The destruction of the cocaine laboratories was part of an operation against drug trafficking. The five laboratories destroyed had the capacity to produce two tons of cocaine per week, the ministry said.
In a separate incident, Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon on Friday condemned the rebel group's attacks in Caqueta, which left three civilians dead, one of them a baby.
He reported a major blow against the rebels in the northern part of the country.
A special operation by the army and national police in Antioquia killed "Brenda," the second leader of the company in the area. It also led to the capture of "Richard," or "The Mechanic," chief financial officer of the "Alfonso Castellanos" company of FARC in Arauca.
The rebel group has been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s, and uses kidnapping forces and civilians as a key strategy.
While severely weakened in recent years, it continues to carry out kidnappings and attacks on security forces.
Hundreds of civilians remain prisoners of the guerrilla group throughout Colombia, according to the nonprofit Free Country Foundation.
FARC announced plans to release 10 military and police hostages in February, and said it would stop kidnapping civilians for money. It did not address the fate of its civilian captives then, nor did it renounce kidnapping for political purposes.
The attack by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC, took place in Caqueta province, the nation's defense ministry said Saturday.
A sergeant, two soldiers and a national police officer were killed, the ministry said. In addition to the journalist, four soldiers and a national police officer are missing.
The destruction of the cocaine laboratories was part of an operation against drug trafficking. The five laboratories destroyed had the capacity to produce two tons of cocaine per week, the ministry said.
In a separate incident, Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon on Friday condemned the rebel group's attacks in Caqueta, which left three civilians dead, one of them a baby.
He reported a major blow against the rebels in the northern part of the country.
A special operation by the army and national police in Antioquia killed "Brenda," the second leader of the company in the area. It also led to the capture of "Richard," or "The Mechanic," chief financial officer of the "Alfonso Castellanos" company of FARC in Arauca.
The rebel group has been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s, and uses kidnapping forces and civilians as a key strategy.
While severely weakened in recent years, it continues to carry out kidnappings and attacks on security forces.
Hundreds of civilians remain prisoners of the guerrilla group throughout Colombia, according to the nonprofit Free Country Foundation.
FARC announced plans to release 10 military and police hostages in February, and said it would stop kidnapping civilians for money. It did not address the fate of its civilian captives then, nor did it renounce kidnapping for political purposes.
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