BOGOTA, March 1: The Colombian military killed the number two leader of the Marxist FARC rebels, Raul Reyes, in a dawn air strike on Saturday in neighboring Ecuador, officials said.

“Raul Reyes, member of the FARC secretariat, has been killed in a joint military and police operation, and it is the heaviest blow ever dealt against this terrorist group,” Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos told a news conference.

Reyes was in a rebel camp located 1.8 kilometres from the Ecuadoran-Colombian border during the operation, which left 17 guerrillas and one Colombian soldier dead, Santos said.

“The Colombian Air Force proceeded to attack the camp from the Colombian side (of the border), always taking into account the order not to violate Ecuadoran air space,” he said.

“Once the camp was bombarded, Colombian forces were ordered in to secure the area and neutralize the enemy. The police was also asked to keep it secure until Ecuadoran authorities arrived,” Santos added.—AFP