An Ecuadorian army lieutenant was killed Thursday in a clash with an armed Colombian group in a border area between the two countries, an official said.

An Ecuadorian army lieutenant was killed Thursday in a clash with an armed Colombian group in a border area between the two countries, an official said.

The unidentified armed group apparently opened fire on an Ecuadorian army patrol, killing Lieutenant Diego Maldonado, 28, an Ecuadorian military official said.

Initial reports said members of the Colombian group may also have been killed, the official with the Armed Forces Joint Command said.

The incident occurred early Thursday in Puerto Mestanza, a village in the northeastern Ecuadoran province of Sucumbios, which borders Colombia's Putumayo department.

Leftist FARC guerrillas operate in the area, as do bands of former right wing paramilitary groups.