(CNN) -- Maoist insurgents killed a dozen soldiers and at least seven civilians during an ambush in southeastern Peru, the military said Friday.
The military blamed "narco-terrorists" of the Shining Path for the attack Thursday night in Tayacaja province as the soldiers were returning by truck to their counterterrorism base in Cochabamba Grande.
The region is where most of the country's coca leaf and cocaine are produced.
"At the height of the place named Sajona Curve, terrorists detonated an explosive charge under a civilian truck carrying villagers, and immediately fired with long-range weapons on all vehicles," the military said in a statement.
"The military reacted immediately, engaging in a clash that lasted several hours," the statement said. "This unfortunate act shows that the narco-terrorist organization Sendero Luminoso [Shining Path] is continuing in its bloodthirsty actions ... without discriminating among women and children."
The Shining Path and the smaller Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement are blamed for the deaths of thousands of Peruvians.
The rebels have been targets of a fierce government crackdown in the mountainous region of Peru.
More News On Peru
19 killed in Peru in worst Shining Path attack in 10 years -- AFP
Peru army battle with suspected guerillas kills 18 -- Reuters
12 soldiers, seven civilians killed in militant attack in Peru -- RTT News
Peruvian Rebels Kill 12 Soldiers, 7 Civilians in Ambush -- Trans World News
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