At least seven Colombian soldiers have been killed in fighting with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in country's northeastern region, said officials on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately seven military officers were killed. We deeply regret it and are investigating exactly what happened to these military officers," said Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.
Meanwhile, Colombian officials said that another soldier was injured in the fighting, which took place in the northeastern province of La Guajira, near the border with Venezuela. They added that the rebels escaped into Venezuela after the attack.
FARC rebels have been fighting the Colombian government for four decades and is said to be Latin America's longest-running insurgency. They are seeking to impose a leftist regime in the country, which would redistribute land more equitably among the country's impoverished population.
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