Americas News
At least 30 killed in attack by leftist rebels in Colombia (Roundup)
By DPA
Nov 2, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Bogota - At least 30 people were killed and many more wounded in one of the deadliest ambushes by left-wing Colombian rebels in months, the authorities confirmed Thursday.

Seventeen policemen, two civilians and 11 rebels were killed Wednesday in an attack by around 300 rebels of Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Police were forewarned about the attack, and were criticized for failing to prevent it.

Police, who were outnumbered more then four to one, said they were not prepared for such a large attack.

Local police chief Freddy Lopez said the 70 men under his command were ready to face the rebels, but were surprised by the number of insurgents and the 'cruelty of the attack.'

FARC attacked rural Tierradentro with homemade bombs and machine guns, and continued to ambush backup police forces as they arrived over the following hours. Many houses were destroyed by bombs.

Some local residents chose to leave the area in advance for fear of an attack, officials said.

'It was no secret to anyone that the guerrillas were going to enter Tierradentro, the public force knew that these people were coming here because there were rumours that the rebels were five minutes' distance away from the urban centre,' town councillor Emilio Mendoza said.

He charged that the the Army had 'committed itself to keeping a security ring' around the area but did not follow through.

General Jorge Castro, director of Colombia's national police, agreed that his men knew of the imminent attack in the town of Tierradentro in northern Colombia early Wednesday morning.

'The police were aware of an attack that was going to take place there. This is an area where the police arrived in July this year and it is an area where the coca business has always been dominant. This town lives off coca, and both FARC and the paramilitaries have been present there,' Castro told the media.

Analysts pointed out that the attack shows the difficulties for Columbia security forces in controlling areas that were previously in the hands of the demobilised paramilitaries.

It was FARC's biggest strike since conservative President Alvaro Uribe two weeks ago broke off talks with the group on exchanging jailed rebels for hostages captured by the guerrillas, some of them elected officials who have been held for years.

Uribe cut off the talks last week after a bomb attack at Bogota's military university which injured 24 and for which the authorities suspect FARC.

The 17,000-strong Marxist group has been battling the state and right-wing paramilitary forces in the country for more than four decades in a conflict inextricably interwoven with the violent drug trade.