Members of the Colombian armed forces have killed 10 FARC guerrillas in combat, the country’s defense minister said Monday.
The rebels were killed in combat in the southern departments of Guaviare and Caqueta departments.
According to Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon, another five rebels were captured.
Pinzon said the military kills showed “a clear message of the commitment and will of the security forces to continue to work tirelessly to strike against the different terrorist groups and criminals who attack Colombians.”
The combat took place on exactly the same day that the FARC confirmed it was taking part in peace negotiations with the government.
While engaged in preliminary talks to negotiate a political end to the country’s 48-year-old conflict, FARC rebels also continued military offensives, killing two members of the army over the weekend.