The army killed a man thought to be a commander of the FARC’s 13th Front in combat in southwest Colombia, Caracol Radio reported Monday.
The identity of the man has not been confirmed, but officials believe him to be alias “Benito,” also known as “Medardo,” the sixth-in-command of the FARC’s “Cacica Gaitana” Front.
Officials reported that 27th Infantry Battalion confronted the man and his troops during intense combat with the FARC in rural Saladoblanco, in the south of the Huila department.
Benito was responsible for instructing Cacica Gaitana members in military strategy, running part of the organization’s political apparatus, and gathering intelligence and extortion payments.
The FARC commander is also believed to be responsible for the deaths of minors during training, an attack on a police patrol on the road that leads to Pasto Macoa, and a terrorist attempt on the Teteye military base in the Putumayo department, according to Caracol Radio.