Clashes in Colombia between rival rebel groups kill 27 people
The two groups have been fighting for control of the Guaviare region of the Amazon.

The two groups have been fighting for control of the Guaviare region of the Amazon.





![Handout picture released by the Colombian Armed Forces press office shows Colombia's Commander of Armed Forces shaking hands with army soldiers after their release in San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia on August 28, 2025. [Colombian Armed Forces/AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/000_72RL4NT-1756450460.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)



Colombia on edge as attacks come just days after assassination attempt on conservative presidential hopeful.

Thousands have escaped a sudden outbreak of drug-related violence between two armed groups in northeastern Colombia.
Attacks by rebel ELN fighters in the Catatumbo region have forced thousands of people to flee the area.
Government talks with armed groups have stalled. Experts say a smaller-scale ‘territorial’ approach might be the answer.
Officials hope Salvatore Mancuso will reveal information about hundreds of murders and forced disappearances.
The two sides have agreed to extend a landmark deal struck in August that expired last week.
Colombia has experienced a surge in kidnappings in 2023, but negotiations with armed groups might herald a breakthrough.
Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez has apologised to families of 19 civilians killed by soldiers under false pretenses.
The agreement is a milestone for the Colombian government, though doubts remain over its ability to reduce violence.
Colombia’s government seeks to draw urban criminal networks into disarmament talks as it pursues ‘total peace’.