The Colombian army has killed five members of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including a high-ranking member of the guerrilla group, a military spokesman said Tuesday. The FARC leader killed in recent combat between the army and the guerrilla fighters in Caqueta province was Humberto Valbuena, who was second-in-command of the "Teofilo Forrero" unit, blamed for numerous bloody attacks. The action occurred near the town of Andes in southwestern Caqueta, which is the centre of the largest offensive against FARC in 40 years that is known as the "Patriot Plan". Commander of the Omega Joint Task Force, General Carlos Fracica, said killing Valbuena was a strong blow to FARC rebels. The "Teofilo Forrero" column is suspected in many violent attacks, including last year's bombing of El Nogal club in Bogota, which killed 38 people and wounded 100 others. --SP 2311 Local Time 2011 GMT
