At least three soldiers were killed and four were injured in combat with FARC guerrillas in the southwest of Colombia, the army reported Saturday.
According to an official press statement, the soldiers died when rebels detonated an explosive while the troops were carrying out an offensive against the members of the guerrilla group.
The fighting is taking place near Pradera, a village in the troubled Cauca region where the FARC have carried out attacks for decades and the armed forces are now carrying out Operation Troy 3, a military offensive with the aim of clearing the strategically important region of illegal armed groups.