An attack attributed to Colombia’s largest rebel group, the FARC, on Monday left the first army soldier dead since the end of a two-month unilateral truce.
The assault took place in the municipality of Tarra, close to the Venezuelan border, reported radio station Caracol.
According to reports, the rebels attacked army soldiers with mortars and machine guns, leading to the death of the non-commissioned officer.
The army said reinforcements had been sent to the area to deal with the threat of more FARC attacks.
The attack was the second in the department in just a few hours. FARC rebels on Monday morning attacked a military outpost in a neighboring municipality, wounding three soldiers.