Colombia's armed forces clash with FARC dissident rebels, 10 killed
- Country:
- Colombia
Colombia's armed forces clashed Saturday with FARC dissident rebels, killing 10 from the group that split from the 2016 peace process. Army special forces and police launched an operation in Caqueta department, in which a longtime group leader Rodrigo Cadete, 52, was killed.
"Another nine guerrillas we killed; we have several captures and the fighting continues in the region," Defense chief Guillermo Botero said in a statement in Manizales. Though some 7,000 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) laid down their arms, about 1,700 are still in the insurgent struggle funded by drug money, military intelligence says.
With no unified command, dissidents operate in remote areas where they fight other groups to control drug trafficking and drug trafficking routes. Colombia has experienced relative calm since the 2016 peace deal signed by then-president Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebels.
With the landmark agreement turning the FARC into a political party, the smaller ELN is considered the last active rebel group in the country. True to his election promises, President Ivan Duque, who took office last August, has taken a hard line against the ELN, including his demand they release all hostages as a prerequisite to kick-starting their peace process.
(With inputs from agencies.)
- READ MORE ON:
- UNLV Rebels
- Melbourne Rebels
- The Soul Rebels
- Iván Duque Escobar
- Iván Duque Márquez
- Human height
- Special forces
- Special Forces Group
- Members Only
- Member of Congress
- Member of Parliament
- Viva Air Colombia
- Cine Colombia S.A.
- National Police of Colombia
- Catchment area
- Surface area
- Rest area
- Fernando Botero
- Ministry of Defence
- The Police
ALSO READ
Govt agrees to suspend requirement for councils to comply with Significant Natural Areas
US military says destroyed 4 unmanned aerial systems in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen
Putin asks voters, including in annexed Ukrainian areas, to determine Russia's future
Intermittent rains, thunderstorms lash Shimla and surrounding areas
World Bank to promote sustainable family farming in rural areas of Piaui in Brazil