53 Soldiers Reported Slain in Rebel Attack

Guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, said they had killed 53 soldiers, wounded 30 and taken 20 others prisoner in clashes in northwestern Colombia. The army said only that “numerous” soldiers and rebels were killed and 19 soldiers wounded in the fighting, which began Friday in Choco state. According to the army, the fighting began when about 600 guerrillas attacked soldiers patrolling the jungle region near the border with Panama. The latest fighting seems likely to raise more doubts about new President Andres Pastrana’s plan for peace talks to end three decades of civil war.