Colombian Army Kills Guerrillas, Gang Members

Six guerrillas and three drug gang members were killed in separate Colombian army operations, the defense ministry said Thursday.

The guerrillas were from the National Liberation Army (ELN), killed in an operation in the northeastern area of Bolivar.

Three members of the Clan Usuga drug gang were killed and four others captured by the army in Antioquia, in the northwest.

"I commend our security forces for the strong blows to the ELN and Clan Usuga. The protection and security of Colombians is a priority," President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter.

The Santos government has been engaged in peace negotiations with Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the FARC, since 2012, which the sides aim to wrap up with a final peace deal by March 2016.

After announcing that timetable last month, Santos encouraged the ELN, which has some 2,500 members compared to the FARC's 7,000, to follow the FARC's lead in seeking a peace deal.

The ELN has been engaged in preliminary peace talks with the government since 2014, but has not yet opened a formal peace process.