Five Colombian soldiers killed in ELN attack in northern Colombia

BOGOTA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least five Colombian soldiers were killed and 10 more injured in an attack on Tuesday by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group in the town of Tibu in north Colombia, the army announced.

The army said that the soldiers were attacked with explosives around 1 a.m. on Tuesday as they were carrying out a tactical deployment along a road between Tibu and Salazar de las Palmas.

On Monday, the ELN announced it would hold a ceasefire during the upcoming legislative elections on March 11 and called on President Juan Manuel Santos to return to peace talks.

Santos took to Twitter to condemn the attack in Tibu in the department of Norte de Santander.

"I absolutely reject the cowardly attack against our heroes in Norte de Santander. All my solidarity to the families and a swift recovery for the injured. We are going after those responsible," he wrote.

On Jan. 29, Santos suspended the peace talks after the ELN carried out a series of deadly attacks against police officers in northern Colombia.

Interior Minister Guillermo Rivera, said that talks would not resume while the ELN continued violent acts.

"The ELN is incoherent ... it announced a unilateral ceasefire during the electoral period but attacks mercilessly hours later. While the ELN continues to be incoherent, there will be no conditions for dialogue," he explained. Enditem