Colombian rebels kill six policemen

Rebels killed six Colombian policemen and their driver today in a hail of bullets and grenades.

Bolivar state governor Gustavo Lecompte said two officers survived the ambush by 30 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Both were wounded.

Today’s attack was the second in as many weeks. Eight policemen were killed and five wounded in a similar clash on January 7.

The officers were travelling through the village of Zambrano, 340 miles north of the capital Bogota, when they came under fire today.

About 55 miles further north, meanwhile, the army and police hunted for at least 10 civilians who were forced from their cars on a rural road by FARC rebels during a mass kidnapping.

Government security forces rescued 49 of the hostages yesterday, , hours after the rebels put up a roadblock 400 miles north of Bogota, kidnapping dozens of motorists.

“The operations are being carried out with extreme caution so we don’t put at risk the lives of those who have been kidnapped,” a police spokesman said.

Colombian rebels, who have waged war for 38 years against a succession of elected governments, finance themselves through kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking.