Deadly Clash of Colombian Guerrilla Groups in Cocaine Conflict

At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group have died in violent clashes with a rival faction over control of a strategic jungle area in southwestern Colombia, as reported by military authorities on Sunday.

The conflict, described as the most violent in recent months, erupted in the rural region of El Retorno within Guaviare, situated 300 kilometers southwest of Bogotá. This region holds significant strategic importance for cocaine production and trafficking.

The deadly encounter involved a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, led by Néstor Gregorio Vera, alias Iván Mordisco, facing off against another faction led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias Calarcá Córdoba, according to military sources.