Exclusive-Colombian armed groups and gangs have 17,600 members, intelligence reports find

FILE PHOTO: Rebels from Colombia's Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) patrol an area, in the northwestern jungles, Colombia August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Federico Rios/File Photo

BOGOTA (Reuters) - More than 17,600 people are members of the four major armed groups and 23 gangs with which the Colombian government hopes to reach peace or surrender deals, two security agency reports seen by Reuters show.

The newly updated figures, which have not been reported before, are an effort to understand the current composition of the groups, security sources said.