Two Marxist FARC rebels were killed in combat and another surrendered in Colombia's northern Bolivar province when they left their predetermined zone carrying weapons, the military said Wednesday, the first time the bilateral cease-fire has been broken.
Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a peace accord in September that was rejected in a plebiscite last month. The two sides finalized a revised deal over the weekend that aims to end 52 years of conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions.
Thousands of FARC fighters have been left in limbo by the rejection on October 2 of the original peace accord. Until they disarm, rebels remain in predetermined areas and must provide coordinates to the military if they want to leave.
The rebels were extorting people in the area, 68 kilometers (42 miles) from the area of concentration, and were carrying weapons, the military said in a statement.
A decision on how the new accord will be approved has not yet been made, but it appears more likely to go through Congress rather than face another national vote.
President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the cease-fire with the rebels in August.
