Colombia mounts counterattack against rebels

[maddezmom]

Sunday, June 26, 2005; Posted: 7:33 p.m. EDT (23:33 GMT)


BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- President Alvaro Uribe flew to the battlefields of southwest Colombia to oversee a massive counterattack against leftist rebels on Sunday, a day after 25 soldiers were killed in attacks across the country.

As many as 300 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, on Saturday attacked oil wells near Puerto Asis and ambushed an army convoy, killing at least 19 soldiers. Rebel casualty figures were not known.

More than 1,000 troops backed by helicopter gunships hunted down several hundred rebels believed to be heading for the nearby border with Ecuador to seek refuge from the fighting, army officials said.

Uribe insisted that his government won't retreat from the decision to defeat the rebels. "Terrorism is an obstacle to democracy," Uribe said in brief remarks to reporters before traveling to Puerto Asis, 530 kilometers (330 miles) southwest of Bogota.

more:http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/06/26/colombian.soldiers.ap/index.html?section=cnn_world

[bemildred]

1. "In their last throes". nt

[mom cat]

2. What about the terrorist that Uribe supports with US funds. Same

helicopter gunships that are destroying Iraq.