At least 12 soldiers from an elite counter insurgent force were left injured in the fighting in a rural area of the department of Meta in central Colombia, news agency EFE reported Thursday.
The fighting took place in a field laid with mines by the FARC. The area was evacuated by the Colombian air force. Those injured belong to the army and are part of the Omega Task Group, formed of units from all areas of the armed forces and created to pursue the central command of the FARC.
One official and seven soldiers were rescued by a medical helicopter and were taken to the Apiay base near the departmental capital, Villavicencio.