MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the ministry's statement, the army was conducting an operation in the town of Montecristo, located in northern Colombia.
"The ELN continued to infringe international human rights with the continued forced recruitment of under age recruits," the statement quoted by BBC news said.
On Saturday, the ELN released businessman Octavio Figueroa, held in captivity since March 2016.
ELN is the second-largest rebel group in Colombia after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People's Army (FARC), fighting against the government for many decades. The Colombian authorities have repeatedly tried to launch talks with the rebel group, however, all attempts failed.
In early December 2016, the Colombian government said that peace talks with ELN would be postponed till January 10.
