Colombian guerrillas kill 17 paramilitaries

The Colombian authorities say left-wing guerrillas were behind an ambush that left at least seventeen paramilitary fighters dead.

Officials said rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia used dynamite and heavy weapons against the paramilitaries who were travelling in a convoy of three vehicles.

The attack happened in a rural area in Bolivar department in the north of the country late on Sunday.

There are frequent clashes between the two sides who are battling for control of numerous regions of Colombia.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service