Alleged rebel leader killed in Colombia as president targets armed groups

Hernando Forero Mosquera, aka "El ruso", is accused of leading a dissident rebel faction A man suspected of leading a dissident faction of a left-wing rebel group has been killed in a military operation in central Colombia, officials say. The operation forms part of a crackdown on illegal armed groups ordered by Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in on Friday. He said the killing by the security forces of Hernando Forero Mosquera and five other alleged members of armed groups on the weekend sent "a clear and powerful message to all bandits that there is nowhere for them to hide". During his campaign for the presidency, de la Espriella said he would target "narco-terrorism" relentlessly, including by launching air strikes. Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in on Friday as Colombia's new president Military intelligence officers said that Forero led a group known as Frente 28, which is one of the many dissident factions to have sprung forth from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

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Scoop News DeskColombia · Published Monday, August 10, 2026 at 12:23 PM UTCUpdated Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 12:35 PM UTC

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