Bogota  - At least five soldiers were killed Friday while attempting to clear a minefield in Colombia, the military said.

The mines were laid in Antioquia by leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. Authorities said they would continue their efforts to protect the region's population despite the setback.

FARC has been fighting the Colombian government for more than 40 years. According to Amnesty International, in the last year alone more than 300,000 people had to flee because of attacks from leftist rebels or right-wing paramilitaries in the South American nation. (dpa)