Columbian Air Force raid kills 36 FARC bad guys
2012-03-27
Posted by: badanov
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Another 36 elements of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) armed Marxist drug dealing gang have been killed in continuing Columbian armed forces operations, according to Spanish language news reports.
The guerillas died from a Columbian Air Force bombing raid in Vista Hermosa municipality, roughly 30 kilometers southwest of Puerto Lleras.
The air raid was part of an ongoing Columbian Army operation launched five days ago in the wake of an ambush which killed 11 Columbian Army soldiers in Arauca municipality in the eastern border area with Venezuela ten days ago.
Since those killings. Columbian Army troops have killed 36 FARC guerrillas during the night of March 20th-21st. The total dead for FARC now stands at 72. The losses have been termed a major blow by Columbian defense minister Juan Carlos Pinzon.
The most recent ground operation has captured three unidentified FARC leaders and led to the seizure of weapons including 17 AK-47 rifles, 11 Galil 5.56mm rifles, eight AR-15 rifles, seven M-16 rifles, one FAL 7.62mm rifle, a machine gun, grenades, pistols and weapons magazines.
An upcoming hostage exchange of hostages from FARC, facilitated using Brazilian helicopters, is expected to take place between April 2nd and 4th near an airfield near Villavicencio. However, reports now say that exchange has been delayed for "logistical reasons."