“They were five rebels who were killed in combat by the Combined Task Force,” said a source within the army.
The rebels were killed in the Paramillo mountains, a traditional stronghold of the FARC rebels in northern Colombia.
The area is a base for several FARC units, among them the Mobile Column Mario Velez, that has an estimated 300 members.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos has vowed to continue the armed offensive against FARC rebels until a final peace accord with the guerrillas is reached.
Rebel and government negotiators are currently involved in peace talks in the Cuban capital of Havana to put an end to the country’s nearly half-a-century-old conflict.