Colombian forces kill senior FARC dissident commander in southwest military operation

Colombian security forces killed a senior commander of FARC dissident factions during a military operation on Sunday in the country's volatile southwest, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced.

The slain leader, known by the aliases "Felipe" or "Arcadio," commanded a unit within the Jaime Martinez faction, one of several dissident groups that rejected the government's 2016 peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. De la Espriella described his death as a "crushing blow" to the broader dissident network led by "Ivan Mordisco".

Drone attacks and roadside bombs

"Felipe" directed multiple assaults on police stations across Valle del Cauca department using explosives dropped from drones, according to the president. His forces also planted gas cylinders rigged with explosives along roads in the region, attacked a military unit, set vehicles ablaze, and conducted extortion operations.

De la Espriella shared video footage on social media that appeared to show a body bag next to weapons and ammunition captured during the raid. "We are closing the net on Mordisco and his networks," the president warned, vowing to sustain offensive operations against illegal armed groups.

No-surrender ultimatum

The president issued a stark message to remaining combatants: "Any criminal who doesn't surrender will end up in a body bag". The announcement signals an escalation in military pressure on FARC splinter factions that have filled power vacuums in coca-growing regions and continue armed resistance despite the 2016 peace deal that formally ended five decades of conflict.

The operation represents the latest government effort to dismantle command structures of dissident groups operating in Valle del Cauca, a strategically important corridor connecting Colombia's Pacific coast to interior regions.

Source: South China Morning Post