Alleged rebel leader killed in Colombia as president targets armed groups

A suspected leader of a dissident faction of a leftist rebel group, Hernando Forero Mosquera, was killed in a military operation in central Colombia, officials have announced. This comes amid a crackdown on illegal armed groups initiated by Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office on Friday. During his campaign, de la Espriella pledged to relentlessly target "narco-terrorism," including through air strikes.

Forero led a group called Frente 28, one of many factions that emerged from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The Farc, Colombia's largest leftist rebel group, signed a peace deal with the government in 2016, but some members refused to lay down their arms and continue engaging in cocaine trafficking and illegal mining.

De la Espriella indicated he would adopt a markedly different strategy compared to his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who advocated for "total peace" through negotiation, but his efforts to negotiate with armed groups were unsuccessful due to their repeated ceasefire breaches. On the day of his inauguration, two explosive devices exploded in Cauca and Cesar provinces, resulting in injuries to security personnel.

De la Espriella praised the military for the killing of Forero, who was also known as "El ruso" and an explosives expert, and mentioned that three more alleged faction members were killed in Meta province. Additionally, two alleged members of the Gulf Clan were killed in a separate operation in Antioquia province. The US, supporting de la Espriella, has pledged $1 billion in security assistance and welcomed Colombia into the US-led "Shield of the Americas" alliance to combat drug trafficking and transnational crime.