1,150 flee Colombia village caught between 2 armed groups

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian officials say at least 1,150 people fled their homes in the country’s Choco province over the weekend to escape fighting between leftist insurgents and a paramilitary group that is expanding its influence in the region. The nation’s Human Rights Ombudsman said Tuesday that the clash involved armed members of the paramilitary group calling itself the Gaitanista Self Defense Forces of Colombia and guerrillas from the National Liberation Army movement. It says the combat caused people to abandon the riverside village of Dipurdú del Guasimo and seek refuge in nearby communities. The agency says the villagers are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Choco province is mostly inhabited by AfroColombians and Indigenous people.