Colombian president Gustavo Petro is warning that his nation's military will take offensive actions against the National Liberation Army after the rebels, known as the ELN, unleashed a wave of attacks in the country's northeast that left dozens of people killed and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Colombia has suspended peace talks with the National Liberation Army, or ELN, for second time in less than a year after blaming the rebel group for violence that has been affecting a northeastern region of the country in recent days.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks with the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) on Friday, after accusing the group of committing a war crime in the Catatumbo region, in the country's Norte de Santander province.