Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the leftist FARC, released two police officers on Friday they had held for three weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The ICRC also said a smaller leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), had separately released five employees of a Canadian mining company kidnapped last month. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released the two police officers in a rural area in Cauca department in southwestern Colombia and both were in good health, the ICRC said in a statement.

* FARC promises to release third captive by Saturday * Government and rebels to resume peace talks next week BOGOTA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Friday freed two police patrolmen it seized last month, in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of the next round of tense peace negotiations with the government.

At least seven soldiers were killed and five wounded Wednesday in clashes with suspected FARC guerrillas in southern Colombia, amid peace talks between the government and the rebels, the military said. A statement said the operation had sought to "protect our civilian population" in San Antonio de Getucha, which has seen battles with the terrorist group. str-cd/oh/sg

At least seven soldiers were killed Wednesday in clashes with suspected FARC guerrillas in southern Colombia, in some of the worst fighting since peace talks resumed between the government and the rebels. The army said five soldiers were injured in the attack, adding that it launched the assault on FARC-controlled territory in San Antonio de Getucha, in Caqueta province. "We launched an operation deep in (FARC's) southern block with a goal of protecting our civilian population," the army said in a statement.