At least 27 members of a leftist guerrilla group were killed in violent clashes between rival factions in Colombia, military sources said on Sunday. The fighting took place in a remote jungle area in central Colombia and is considered the deadliest confrontation between armed groups in recent months.

According to military authorities, the clashes occurred in the rural zone of the municipality of El Retorno, located in the department of Guaviare, around 300 kilometres southeast of the capital city, Bogota. A military source said the violence erupted as rival armed groups fought for control over the territory, which is known to be a key area for cocaine production and trafficking.

“The region is strategic for cocaine production and trafficking,” a military source stated, highlighting the importance of the area for illegal armed groups operating in the country.

The fighting involved two rival factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC. One group is led by Nestor Gregorio Vera, who is known by his war name, Ivan Mordisco. The opposing faction is led by Alexander Diaz Mendoza, also known as Calarca Cordoba, a second military source explained.

Both factions were previously part of an umbrella organisation called the Central General Staff. However, they split in April 2024 following internal disagreements and power struggles. Since then, tensions between the two groups have continued to rise, eventually leading to the deadly clashes reported this week.

Military sources said that all 27 people killed in the fighting belonged to the faction led by Vera. The two military sources spoke “on condition of anonymity” due to the sensitivity of the situation. A leader from Diaz’s group also “confirmed the clashes and the 27 deaths” to Reuters, supporting the military’s account of events.

The guerrilla faction led by Diaz is currently involved in peace talks with the government of President Gustavo Petro. In contrast, Vera’s group has continued armed hostilities after the government suspended a bilateral ceasefire agreement. These divisions have complicated ongoing peace efforts in the country.

Both factions had earlier rejected the 2016 peace agreement that ended decades of conflict between the Colombian government and the main FARC leadership. That agreement allowed around 13,000 FARC members to lay down their arms and reintegrate into civilian life.

Colombia’s armed conflict has lasted for more than six decades and has been largely fuelled by drug trafficking and illegal mining. The conflict has caused more than 450,000 deaths and displaced millions of people. President Petro’s current peace initiatives remain stalled amid ongoing violence and divisions among armed groups.