Venezuela deploys 15,000 more troops to border with Colombia

CARACAS, Nov. 6 — Venezuela announced Thursday a supplementary deployment of more than 15,000 agents of the National Guard to six border states amid alleged invasion of Colombian irregular groups.

The troops would be deployed to the southern states of Amazonas, Apure and Bolivar, and to the southwestern states of Barinas, Tachira and Zuila, Venezuelan Vice President and Defense Minister Ramon Carrizalez told the press on Thursday.

The deployment, called "Sentinel Operation," aimed to strike illegal mining and combat the presence of irregular groups in the Venezuelan territory.

This action was followed by the detainment of five alleged Colombian paramilitaries during a clash with the Venezuelan police in Tachira on Thursday morning.

Two of the detainee were killed, from whom two fusils, taken from two agents of the National Guard killed on Monday in the border area, were found, the authorities said.

Also on Thursday, 100 Colombian citizens were detained in a checkpoint in Barina when they were traveling on passenger buses without identifications.

Late last month, 10 alleged Colombian paramilitaries were also detained. They were accused of causing terror by dishing out "subversive" leaflets in Tachira. (PNA/Xinhua)

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