Colombian officials say a house used by leftist rebels to store dynamite has exploded, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding several others. At least 22 soldiers are reported missing.

Authorities say the soldiers were storming the house Tuesday when the blast blew up the building in the Meta department's El Dorado district. It is not clear, however, whether the explosion was accidental or intentional.

Investigators say rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the nation's largest guerrilla group, used the building to store explosives for blowing up power lines.

The rebels have been bombing infrastructure targets, even though they are in negotiations with the government to reach a ceasefire aimed at ending the country's 38-year civil war.

In a related development, representatives of Colombia's second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army, and the government are gathered in Cuba in a bid to restart peace talks. Diplomats and international observers also are scheduled to attend the meetings, set to conclude Thursday.

The development comes two weeks after the two sides met in Havana in an effort to reach an agreement for formal peace talks.

Preliminary discussions with the ELN broke down in August, with Colombian President Andres Pastrana saying the group was not serious about peace. Officials resumed contacts with the ELN guerrillas in November.

Colombia's civil war pits the two rebel groups against the government and right-wing paramilitary forces. The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people in the past decade alone.

Some information for this report provided by AP.

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