Bogotá, March 11 (RHC) -- Four Colombian soldiers were killed on Monday after an ambush carried out by rebels against the army, officials said.

Local media reported the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were responsible for the attack in a rural part of Colombia's southern Caqueta Department, which also left four civilians injured.

“The soldiers were protecting the road infrastructure that was besieged by the FARC. A shooting took place at a time when they tried to attack the bridge, and four of our men died," Gabriel Pinilla, the commander of the Colombian army sixth division said.

The FARC militias are currently engaged in negotiations with the Colombian government to end more than six decades of bloody conflict. The rebel group has repeatedly called for a bilateral ceasefire during the talks, but their bid has been rejected by the government, which argues that a cease fire will only serve for the rebels to reorganize and strengthen their positions.