One of the suspected leaders of the rebel faction Frente 28, a dissident group that emerged from the former FARC, has been killed during a military operation in a rural area of ​​the Meta province, Colombian authorities announced.

It is about Hernando Forero Mosquera, known by the nickname "El Ruso", who according to military intelligence led the group and was an explosives expert. Three other people suspected of being members of the faction were also killed in the same operation.

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, described the operation as an important blow to armed groups and said that the killing of Forero and five others over the weekend sends "a clear and powerful message" to criminal groups.
In another operation in Antioquia province, Colombian forces killed two more suspected members of the Gulf Clan, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the country.
The offensive comes just days after de la Espriella took office as president and after promising during the campaign a much more aggressive approach against "narcoterrorism", including the use of air strikes.

Tensions rose immediately after his inauguration. On Saturday, a car bomb exploded at a toll booth in Cauca, injuring two security guards, while in Cesar a police officer was killed by explosives dropped from a drone.

Frente 28 is one of the factions that broke away from the FARC after the 2016 peace agreement. The dissident groups have been mainly involved in cocaine trafficking, illegal mining and other criminal activities, contributing to the return of armed violence in Colombia.
Unlike his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who pursued a strategy of "total peace" and sought negotiations with armed groups, de la Espriella has chosen a direct military policy towards them.

The new president also enjoys the support of Donald Trump's administration, while the US State Department has announced a package of around $1 billion in security assistance for Colombia.