ELN rebels blow up bridge, injure eight in attacks across Colombia -government

FILE PHOTO: A rebel of Colombia's Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) shows his armband while posing for a photograph, in the northwestern jungles, Colombia August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Federico Rios/File Photo

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Guerrillas of the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) on Wednesday blew up a bridge, set fire to vehicles, blocked roads and set off bombs that injured eight people during the first day of a so-called "armed strike," Colombia's government said.

The rebel group is holding the three-day strike to protest the government's economic and social policies, less than three weeks before legislative elections. The action means restrictions on movement and trade in rural areas where the ELN operates.