San Marino, Colombia ? Hundreds of fighters from three rebel armies united to attack a village in western Colombia, officials said Sunday, offering new details in the bold assault that killed at least five police officers.

At least six police officers were kidnapped, and at least 27 others were missing, possibly abducted as well.

The pre-dawn assault Saturday in the village of San Marino reportedly included fighters from Colombia’s second largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army, which began exploratory peace talks with Colombia’s government in Cuba on Friday.

The attack was not expected to have a major effect on the talks, however, because a cease-fire was not a condition for the negotiations.

The fighting appeared to signal a new tactic in which various guerrilla factions unite for an attack, said Gen. Alonso Arango, deputy chief of the National Police.

The attack also involved the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and the lesser known Revolutionary Army of Guevara, he said.

It came despite the death of six FARC rebels in clashes with ELN earlier this week in another part of the country.