Venezuelan Forces Kill 16 Guerrillas
Sixteen armed men, believed to be Colombian guerrillas, were killed Saturday in a clash with Venezuelan security forces near the border town of Guasdualito in southwestern Apure state, government officials said.
The 16 were part of a group of 25 to 30 suspected members of Colombia’s clandestine National Liberation Army, said Gen. Humberto Camejo Arias, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division at San Cristobal.
The gunmen, who wore bracelets with the guerrilla group’s red and black colors, were spotted by a combined police-army patrol while traveling on a tributary of the Arauca River, he added.
The guerrillas who escaped were believed to have crossed the Arauca River and returned to Colombian territory, Camejo Arias said.
No injuries were reported among the Venezuelan forces, who seized the twin-engine boat that the gunmen had been using as well as two submachine guns, three revolvers, a pistol and ammunition.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
