At least 19 people have died following an attack by the Venezuelan armed forces on an encampment belonging to Colombian rebels inside Venezuela, an NGO and sources close to the operation reported.
Juan Francisco Garcia, a coordinator for the human rights NGO FundaRedes, told AFP that Friday's aerial bombing targeting National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels in the border state of Apure resulted in heavy casualties.
Garcia stated that "nine corpses that arrived in San Fernando", the state capital, whilst "another 10 bodies" were transferred subsequently.
Cross-border tensions
The ELN has been the most powerful rebel group in Latin America since the FARC rebel group signed a peace accord with the Bogota government in 2016.
For years, Colombian authorities have accused Caracas of providing shelter and logistical sanctuary to Colombian rebel groups.
The military operation comes while Venezuela remains under sustained diplomatic and economic pressure from Washington, following the United States-backed abduction of former president Nicolas Maduro in January.
