Colombia's guerrillas battled each other on Tuesday night in the Los Chorros Zone, northwest of the capital city, leaving at least 24 people dead, local authorities in Bogota confirmed on Wednesday.
The fighting was in Campamento, with the country's two largest guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)and the National Liberation Army (ELN) fighting against the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
Local official Dairo Quinones said: "Twenty-four deaths have been confirmed, but local inhabitants say there are more, and could amount to 50."
Quinones said one child was wounded by a bullet, and three local houses were reportedly destroyed.
A joint column of FARC and the ELN fought the AUC as part of a territorial dispute, he added.
In another development, military sources reported on the same day that seven soldiers were killed and three injured during a clash earlier between government forces and FARC in the city of Carepa.
FARC is Colombia's largest and oldest guerrilla group. It was launched in 1990 with 8,200 troops and had expanded to 16,600 in 2001.
The 4,500-strong ELN is the country's second largest rebel group. It was also founded in 1990, with 2,300 troops. The AUC is a far-right paramilitary organization, which grew from 1,800 to 10,600 troops between 1990 and 2001.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2002)
