"We deplore the attack by the air force, army and police executed in the early hours of Thursday morning," the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaFARC or FARC-EP, is either a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization or a drug cartel based in Colombia. It claims to represent the rural poor in a struggle against Colombia's wealthier classes, and opposes United States influence in Colombia, neo-imperialism, monopolization of natural resources by multinational corporations, and the usual raft of complaints. It funds itself principally through ransom kidnappings, taxation of the drug trade, extortion, shakedowns, and
donations. It has lately begun calling itself
Bolivarianand is greatly admired by Venezuela's President-for-Life Chavez, who seemingly fantasizes about living in the woods and kidnapping people himself. He provides FARC with safe areas along the border.
, or FARC, said in a statement. "We feel the same pain for the death of guerrillas and soldiers alike, sons of the same country and originating from poor families. We have to stop the bloodshed."
Late last year, FARC declared a one-sided cease-fire, but President Juan Manuel Santos ordered a resumption of military strikes after a rebel attack last month that killed 10 government troops.
"It is the first major blow against FARC since President Santos ordered the resumption of
... for fear of being murdered...
Thursday's
Santos has declined to end fighting until there is a final peace agreement, though he had suspended air raids after rebel attacks ceased.
The attack Thursday involved military and police and took place in Guapi in the Cauca region of western Colombia, a FARC stronghold and an area popular with narco gangs. FARC was founded in 1964 and has about 8,000 fighters.
The army targeted a unit of the rebels that it blames for an attack in November on Gorgona Island that killed one of its lieutenants, the source said.