Three Colombian soldiers have been killed and four others injured after improvised explosive devices exploded during a patrol in a rural area of the Meta department, central Colombia.
According to the military, the attack was carried out by a faction of former FARC fighters who have rejected the 2016 peace agreement and have continued armed activity.
The three soldiers died on the spot, while the four injured were transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
The attack comes just over a month after the launch of a large-scale military operation against armed groups suspected of being involved in drug trafficking.
FARC, the Marxist guerrilla organization that fought for decades against the Colombian state, signed a historic peace agreement with the government in 2016. However, some former fighters did not accept the agreement and continued armed activity.
Colombian authorities accuse these groups of involvement in drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion. After the change of government, peace negotiations with some of the armed groups have been suspended, while authorities have reinstated arrest warrants for some of their leaders.
