Colombian army raids FARC camps

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BOGOTA, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Colombian armed forces killed at least 20 FARC guerrillas, including two local leaders, in the southwestern province of Narino, a general said.

Gen. Leonardo Barrero, leader of the Colombian army's Joint Southwest Command, said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas were killed during weekend military raids on insurgent camps in a rural area of the province, Colombia Reports said Monday.

Among the dead was a FARC commander known as "Guillermo el Pequeno," who was an insurgency veteran connected to "dozens" of murder, extortion and drug trafficking cases in Narino, Barrero said.

Army officials said another high-ranking local FARC official, known as "Mario," also died in the attack.

The strikes began Saturday when Colombian warplanes bombed three FARC camps.

"This crushing blow was achieved as a result of a joint operation between various armed forces. This column had frightened villagers, peasants and indigenous people of the region with murders, extortion, rape," Barrero said.

The military also conducted attacks on FARC camps in Cauca and Meta provinces, but further details on those raids were not reported.