3 Colombian Rebels Die in Clash on Panama Border

(nytimes.com) PANAMA CITY (AP) -- Panama's national police force says three guerrillas from a Colombian rebel group have been killed in a confrontation along the sparsely populated frontier between the two countries.

The Ministry of the Interior and Justice says police detected a small wooden boat carrying six armed men in the border province of Darien.

It says the men opened fire when told to stop early Wednesday. Police returned fire, killing two men outright and mortally wounding a third. Two others were captured while and one escaped.

The ministry identified the men as members of the the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Armed confrontation along the border were once frequent, but have declined somewhat in recent years.

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Original Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/28/world/AP-LT-Panama-Colombia-Rebels.html?_r=1
Date Retrieved: January 28, 2010