Venezuela says six members of ‘armed groups’ killed near Colombia

Thousands are displaced after Venezuela military launched operation against ‘armed groups’ near Colombian border.

Venezuela’s defence ministry has said six fighters belonging to “irregular Colombian armed groups” have been killed in a military operation near the Venezuela-Colombia border, which has displaced thousands of civilians since last Sunday. In a statement on Saturday, the department said 39 additional fighters were taken into custody as part of the Venezuelan army’s operation against armed groups in Apure state, in the country’s southwest. Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez earlier this week said two Venezuelan soldiers had been killed in the clashes.