A man suspected of leading a dissident faction of a left-wing rebel group, Hernando Forero Mosquera, was killed in a military operation in central Colombia. The operation forms part of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella's crackdown on illegal armed groups, which he initiated shortly after his inauguration last Friday. De la Espriella has pledged to tackle "narco-terrorism" with a combative approach, including through air strikes. Forero was the leader of Frente 28, one of the many dissident factions that emerged from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group. Although FARC signed a peace deal with the government in 2016, some members refused to lay down their arms and continue to engage in cocaine trafficking and illegal mining, contributing to the resurgence of violence in the country. De la Espriella's approach contrasts sharply with his predecessor Gustavo Petro, who advocated a "total peace" strategy focusing on negotiation over confrontation. However, Petro's attempts at negotiations with armed groups repeatedly failed due to ceasefire breaches and walkouts from talks. De la Espriella has received backing from US President Donald Trump, who endorsed his candidacy. The US State Department has also announced plans to provide $1bn in security assistance to de la Espriella's government and welcomed Colombia into the US-led alliance "Shield of the Americas" aimed at combating drug trafficking gangs and transnational crime.