ELN rebels kill 9 Colombian soldiers, jeopardizing peace talks.

The Colombian rebel group, ELN, has allegedly killed nine government soldiers in a rural state near the border with Venezuela, in a blow to the government's efforts to negotiate a truce with armed groups and curb violence in the country. The attack could set back President Petro's efforts to pursue "total peace" and turn away from the militarised approach of his predecessors. Colombia's internal conflict stretches back nearly six decades, with government forces, right-wing paramilitaries, organised criminal groups and left-wing rebel groups clashing for control of territory.