(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A top FARC guerrilla was killed in an air force bombing raid in the northern department of Choco, the Colombian military confirmed Tuesday.
Alfredo Alarcón Machado was the second in command of the 18th Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) € active near the Colombian border with Panama € and was a member of the guerrilla group for an estimated 30 years. Machado, also known as Román RuÃz, was killed Monday along with four other guerrillas near the Chimirindó River close to the town of Riosucio.
FARC announced that despite RuÃz' killing the group would "continue with cool heads", as it seeks a solution to the conflict.
"For this reason we are here in Havana, to end these deaths and to construct a country where no family has to live through this pain," said FARC member Pablo Catatumbo from Cuba where the guerrillas are currently engaged in a 37th round of peace talks with the Colombian government.
Attacks between the FARC and the Colombian armed forces have increased since the guerrilla group suspended its unilateral cease-fire late last week that had been in place since last December.
A total of 41 FARC guerrillas, including Ruiz, have been killed in bombing raids across the country.
President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the armed forces to reconvene bombing raids on FARC positions on April 15 after 11 soldiers were killed in a guerrilla attack in the southwestern department of Cauca.
"The time has arrived to no longer celebrate these deaths," Santos said Tuesday. "We have to change this culture of revenge and retaliation."
The latest series of attacks have paralysed the start to a potentially historic joint program between the guerrillas and the military to rid Colombia of landmines.
This landmine agreement was made in March but has been delayed due to the current tensions between the two sides but as of yet, neither has threatened to leave the negotiating table.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.