Seven killed in FARC attack in Colombia

Suspected rebels have opened fire on a lorry carrying workers in northwest Colombia, killing seven people and wounding two others…

Suspected rebels have opened fire on a lorry carrying workers in northwest Colombia, killing seven people and wounding two others.

Most of the victims in the attack near the town of San Rafael were employees of hydroelectric plants in the region, according to an army spokesman.

He blamed the attack on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Colombia's largest rebel group.

Authorities believe the rebels may have thought the utility lorry was a vehicle belonging to security forces.

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On Monday, five people were kidnapped on a road in the northern state of Magdalena, at the end of a holiday weekend during which the national government had promised extra protection for highway travellers.

Three of them were later rescued. The kidnappers were not immediately identified. Rebels frequently mount road blocks on highways to kidnap travellers.

AP