Indians in Colombia are being killed at a rate three times the national average.

Indian communities have been victimized by rebel forces in a country that has been gripped by a civil war for more than four decades. Last year alone, 156 tribal members were killed in the war, according to the National Indigenous Organization. Thousands have also been forced off their land.

Just last week, rebel forces tried to take over an Indian village. Members of the Nasa Tribe are fighting back in a battle that has left at least eight people, including a 9-year-old boy dead.

The Nasa Tribe, one of 84 recognized in the country,, has been trying to keep rebels at bay for decades. Tribal leaders started the Indigenous Guard, a warrior force of about 7,000 people.

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Indians battle rebels (The Miami Herald 4/21)
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Colombian forces try to break rebel lines (AP 4/20)
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