Rebel attacks claim four cops
2005-08-04 13:24
Bogota - Four police officers were killed on Wednesday when leftist guerrillas attacked their barracks in southwestern Colombia, said authorities.
A police spokesperson said after the incursion in Piamonte, 980km from Bogota, the rebels fled into a mountainous area, where they fought troops and police.
The spokesperson said: "We have confirmed the death of four officers."
Authorities said about 500 rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia were involved in the attack against the police station, where about 30 officers were working.
The attack took place two days after 15 police officers were killed in an attack blamed on Colombia's largest rebel group, with some 17 000 members.
The officers were travelling in a truck in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region in the north when they were surprised by explosive charges.
The group, known as Farc, had battled the Colombian government in a 41-year-old conflict that had claimed more than 200 000 lives.