Marxist rebels have killed at least 24 Colombian soldiers in a jungle region near the border with Panama.
Colombian army officials said Wednesday members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, ambushed the soldiers in the northern province of Uraba.
FARC has stepped up its attacks on Colombian forces this week, apparently in retaliation for President Alvaro Uribe's increased military pressure on the leftist organization.
Colombia is mired in a long-running conflict involving leftist rebels, rightist paramilitaries and the government. The violence kills thousands each year.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
