Colombian anti-guerrilla militaries die in helicopter crash
Officials reported Wednesday that seven anti-guerrilla militaries died in Colombia's southern Caqueta department when their helicopter crashed for undetermined reasons during a mission to seek illicit farming.

The helicopter, license plate number FAC-4437, was found crashed Wednesday in a rural region located in the San Vicente de Caguan and Los Pozos municipalities.

Caqueta's Interior Minister Duber Soto said the Huey aircraft reported difficulties to the control tower late Tuesday night and that its seven crew members of the Omega Task Force died.

Soto said the victims were a lieutenant, a sub-lieutenant, two technicians from the Armed Forces and three soldiers.

The helicopter may have crashed due to mechanical trouble, although military sources have not ruled out a rebel attack and a commission has been sent to the site of the crash to investigate the cause.

In the region where the helicopter crashed Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces disputes control of territories with other armed illegal groups and it also disputes the property of coca-leaf farms with drug traffickers in the region.