Bogota, January 20 (RHC-NNN) -- The Colombian Air Force killed nine members of the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Sunday during a military operation in the country's eastern department of Arauca, local newspaper El Tiempo reported.

Luis Danilo Murcia, commander of the Quiron Task Force in Arauca, said the clash between the armed forces and the FARC's Alonso Lopez 10th Front started Saturday night and continued on Sunday.

According to the commander, the 10th Front killed 14 soldiers in August last year in a rural area of the municipality of Tame, Arauca.

Murcia was also quoted as saying that he expected that more rebels would be killed as a result of the heavy clashes.