BOGOTA, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- The leader of a Colombian rebel force wanted for cocaine trafficking was killed near the border with Ecuador, the Colombian government announced.
The Colombian government said Sixto Cabana, the alleged ringleader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, was among 27 people killed during weekend operations along the border with Ecuador.
Eight police officers were killed during fighting with FARC rebels in the region near the border town of San Miguel earlier this month. Rodrigo Rivera, the Colombian defense minister, said the latest strike was a major blow to the rebel group, the BBC reports.
FARC rebels have ramped up attacks against government forces since Juan Manuel Santos became president of Colombia in August.
Colombian officials said Cabana was involved in the FARC rebel group for the past 25 years and took part in peace talks with the government that failed more than a decade ago, the BBC adds.
UPI
