Defection Amidst Conflict: FARC Fighters Flee ELN Offensive

In Colombia, 104 fighters from a FARC faction, including 20 minors, have deserted amid an ELN offensive in the northeast. This escalation led President Gustavo Petro to suspend peace talks with the ELN, a key strategy to end Colombia's decades-long conflict that has taken over 450,000 lives.

Colombia's army reported on Saturday that a significant defection has taken place within the ranks of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). A total of 104 fighters, among them 20 minors, have abandoned the insurgent group amid a growing offensive by the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the northeastern region of the country.

The ELN's targeted offensive against a peace-negotiating faction of the FARC began over a week ago in the conflict-heavy area of Catatumbo, situated in the Norte de Santander department, close to Venezuela's border.

This increase in hostilities has prompted President Gustavo Petro to halt peace negotiations with the ELN, a group with whom dialogue had been a crucial part of the president's plan to resolve a six-decade conflict that has resulted in over 450,000 fatalities.

(With inputs from agencies.)