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Colombia: A Clash Before a Truce Colombia: A Clash Before a Truce
(about 1 hour later)
Colombian guerrillas killed five government soldiers in a clash on Friday, the Defense Ministry said. The attack came a day before the rebels were to begin an open-ended cease-fire, which has been hailed as a positive step in efforts to end five decades of guerrilla war. The guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, announced the planned unilateral truce on Wednesday, saying it hoped that the government would agree to a general halt to hostilities while the two-year-old negotiations toward a peace accord continue. The FARC has been pushing for a bilateral truce, but President Juan Manuel Santos has repeatedly refused, saying he will continue the government’s military offensive. The Defense Ministry said the attack, near Cali, in western Colombia, also left five soldiers wounded and one missing. Colombian guerrillas killed five government soldiers in a clash on Friday, the Defense Ministry said. The attack came a day before the rebels were to begin an open-ended cease-fire, which has been hailed as a positive step in efforts to end five decades of guerrilla war. The guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, announced the planned unilateral truce on Wednesday, saying it hoped that the government would agree to a general halt to hostilities while the two-year-old negotiations toward a peace accord continue. The United Nations called the cease-fire “a hopeful gesture.” The FARC has been pushing for a bilateral truce, but President Juan Manuel Santos has repeatedly refused, saying he will continue the government’s military offensive. The Defense Ministry said the attack on Friday, near Cali, in western Colombia, also left five soldiers wounded and one missing.