Colombian children shot in error

Colombian forces now have greater powers to tackle the insurgency

Five people, including two children believed to be 10 and 11, have been shot dead in their car by Colombian troops who mistook them for guerrillas.

The shooting happened when the car's occupants failed to identify themselves, military sources said.

They added that poor visibility made it impossible to see who was travelling through the area in western Colombia.

The commander of the army, General Martin Orlando Carreno, has gone to the scene to investigate.

The army was carrying out operations in the district of Cajamarca in search of left-wing rebels suspected of planning to erect an illegal roadblock.

Mist covered the region, severely hampering visibility, according to military sources.

They said that the soldiers heard a car and shouted for its occupants to identify themselves.

When the car turned back, the troops opened fire, only to discover that the occupants were civilians not guerrillas.

It is the second time in less than a month that the Colombian army has been involved in a fatal shooting.

In the incident in Guaytarillla, in Narino in south-western Colombia, seven police officers and four civilians were shot dead in as yet unexplained circumstances by soldiers.