The officers were reportedly killed in an attack as they were delivering a suspect before a judge in southern Caqueta department.

　　Speaking from Medellin, where he was presiding over a ceremony welcoming a thousand new police recruits to bolster security in the city, Santos hailed the officers for their sacrifice and called for an end to the fighting.

　　"They died like national heroes, in the line of duty," said Santos. "We condemn once again these vile killings, a product of this senseless war that we are determined to end."

　　Violence flared up despite ongoing peace talks between the Santos administration and the leftist insurgent group, who initiated peace negotiations in late 2012 to put an end to the five-decade hostilities.

　　Santos blamed the deaths on the FARC's 15th Front, saying the armed forces were instructed to continue their military offensive against the rebels throughout the country, especially in the departments of Caqueta, Putumayo, Narino and Arauca.

　　"Gen. Palomino (the national chief of police), commanders and the minister of defense are aware of the order to maintain and strengthen the offensive, we will not let our guard down even a millimeter, nor will we cease in our offensive to continue fighting and battling all criminals and all types of violence," he said.

　　The FARC has allegedly killed 14 policemen so far this year, seven of them in Narino department.