QUITO, March 6 (Reuters) - Ecuador's military captured five suspected Colombian guerrillas on the Ecuadorean side of the border between the two countries, a government spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The announcement comes during a week of Colombian complaints that Ecuador has protected FARC guerrillas whose group has killed thousands of Colombians over four decades.

Latin American nations are embroiled in a major diplomatic crisis over a Colombian raid into Ecuador's territory last weekend to kill more than 20 Marxist rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Ecuador has rallied support in the region for its condemnation of Colombia's violation of its sovereignty. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; Writing by Fiona Ortiz, editing by Todd Eastham)

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