Five FARC guerrillas, three policemen and one minor were killed in a guerrilla attack on the southern Colombian town of San Vicente del Caguan Friday, local media said.
According to Caracol Radio — citing the local military commander — a number of groups of guerrillas were on their way to the town, but were stopped by soldiers of the army’s 6th Division.
According to the military commander, the guerrillas planned to overtake a downtown police station.
According to the website of newspaper El Tiempo, fighting between guerrillas and soldiers broke out on the outskirts of the city when a truck with guerrillas was stopped at a military check point.
Both media said that in the attacks four soldiers and one civilian were injured.
Following the attack(s), authorities sent police and army reinforcements to the town.
San Vicente del Caguan was the unofficial capital of the demilitarized zone when the Colombian government and guerrillas held unsuccessful peace talks between 1998 and 2002.