FARC firing mortars from Ecuador

Reuters/Washington Post:

Colombia's army on Saturday said FARC guerrillas opened fire on its troops with home-made mortars from across Ecuador's border in the latest incident to test frayed relations between the Andean neighbors.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia last month during a regional crisis when Colombian troops killed a top FARC commander in an attack on a base hidden over the border inside Ecuadorean territory.

Army Commander Gen. Mario Montoya said rebels had launched gas cylinder mortars from the Ecuadorean side of the frontier to attack Colombian soldiers in southern Putumayo province, where armed groups often grow coca to make cocaine.

"These bandits from FARC have once again fired five cylinders filled with explosives from Ecuadorean territory against Colombian troops who were providing security to an oil company," Montoya told reporters.

One soldier was wounded in the attack, he said.

...

It is Ecuador's responsibility to stop these attacks. If Ecuador cannot control its own territory, then Colombia would be justified in attacking the FARC forces in their sanctuaries. I suspect that Correa will not try very hard to control the FARC rebels since he recently fired most of his best military officers because he thought they were too close to the US.

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