Colombia’s military on Thursday announced the death of four soldiers during combat operations against rebel group the FARC near the Venezuelan border.
The clash was registered between the Army’s 5th Mobile Brigade and the FARC’s 10th Front at 2PM in Arauquita, Arauca.
According to army reports, the clash started when soldiers recognized 60 men dressed in army uniforms and opened fire, starting a fire fight, amid which the four soldiers received fatal injury.
The deaths come as President Santos has mobilized troops in response to a perceived FARC offensive.
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The Arauca state is a hotbed of guerrilla activity. Both Colombia’s two largest rebel groups, the FARC and the ELN, exercise great control over the border state important for the South American country’s oil production.