Nicaragua severs ties with Colombia

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, March 6 (UPI) -- Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Thursday he was severing diplomatic ties with Colombia after Colombian forces killed a leftist rebel leader in Ecuador.

Speaking with Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa at his side, Ortega said Colombia was guilty of "political terrorism" when its forces crossed the border to kill a leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, camped about one mile inside Ecuador, El Tiempo reported online.

FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed Saturday along with 16 other members of the armed leftist group considered by Washington and Bogota to be a terror organization.

FARC rebels have been fighting Colombian forces for more than 40 years.