At least 80 people are dead and more than 18,000 have been forced to flee their homes in Colombia, officials say, amid fierce clashes between two rival armed groups on the border with Venezuela.

Civilians caught in the crossfire as ELN guerillas target former members of a separate rebel group in the bloodiest violence in recent years A fresh outbreak of guerilla violence amid a faltering peace process in Colombia has left more than 80 people dead,

A fresh outbreak of guerrilla violence amid a faltering peace process in conflict-riddled Colombia has left more than 80 people dead in just over three days, officials reported Sunday.The National Liberation Army (ELN) armed group launched an assault in the northeastern Catatumbo region last Thursday on a rival formation comprised of ex-members of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla force who kept fighting after it disarmed in 2017.

Terrified residents carrying backpacks and belongings on overladen motorcycles, boats, or crammed onto the backs of open trucks, fled the region over the weekend.

The unusually deadly violence delivers a devastating blow to the “total peace” program of the country’s first leftist president, Gustavo Petro.

More than 8,000 civilians fled the violence, with many seeking shelter in government facilities or hiding in the mountains.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he will declare a state of emergency after guerilla attacks by the ELN in the northeast of the country killed at least 80 people and forced over 11,000 to flee.