A man suspected of leading a dissident faction of a left-wing rebel group has been killed in a military operation in central Colombia, officials have stated. The operation, which also resulted in the deaths of five other alleged members of armed groups, forms part of a crackdown ordered by Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in on Friday.
President de la Espriella said the killing of Hernando Forero Mosquera, also known as "El ruso" (The Russian), sent "a clear and powerful message to all bandits that there is nowhere for them to hide." Military intelligence officers identified Forero as leading Frente 28, a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).
The Farc, Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group, signed a peace deal with the government in 2016, but some members refused to disarm. These dissident groups are reportedly involved in cocaine trafficking and illegal mining, contributing to a resurgence in violence.
President de la Espriella's combative approach follows his predecessor Gustavo Petro's "total peace" strategy, which prioritised negotiation but reportedly failed due to repeated ceasefire breaches. On Saturday, two explosive devices detonated in Colombia, injuring two security guards in Cauca province and killing a police officer in Cesar province.
The US President Donald Trump endorsed de la Espriella's candidacy. On Friday, the US State Department announced plans to provide $1bn (£740m) in security assistance to de la Espriella's government and welcomed Colombia into the "Shield of the Americas" alliance, a group of Western Hemisphere countries co-operating against drug trafficking and transnational crime.