Colombia musters forces to end rash of violence against officials

Reuters News Service

BOGOTA, Colombia President Ernesto Samper summoned a "war council" of
Colombia's military top brass for today after 28 policemen, soldiers and
judicial officials were killed within 24 hours in separate attacks by
leftist rebels and rightwing gunmen.

The coffins of those who died in the latest of the two ambushes, which
occurred Friday and Saturday in eastern Meta province, were flown into
Bogota Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, intense air and ground operations continued throughout Meta, but
failed to locate either the paramilitary squad or the Marxist rebels
responsible for the killings one of the highest death tolls since 30
soldiers died in three days of fighting in a northeast oilproducing region
in July.

It was not clear what measures military commanders, who frequently complain
of lack of manpower and resources, would discuss at today's meeting. But
Samper has ruled out the possibility of declaring a state of internal
emergency.

"The president has given precise orders to his defense minister and the
director of the national police to personally take all the measures
necessary to pursue and capture those responsible for these two attacks,"
said a statement issued by Samper's office announcing the meeting.

National Police Chief Gen. Rosso Jose Serrano dubbed the two ambushes the
work of "barbarians" and mercenaries.

The first attack, in which 11 judicial officials, soldiers and police died
Friday near the town of San Carlos de Guaroa, was initially blamed on
guerrillas.

But the head of the investigative branch of the prosecutor general's
office later said it was the work of a paramilitary gang hired to protect a
cocaine shipment belonging to a local drug baron. Four paramilitary
fighters also died in the clash.

The attack was thought to be the first time paramilitary fighters whose
stated aim is to fight Marxist rebels and their sympathizers had
ambushed state security forces.

Carlos Castano, leader of Colombia's largest paramilitary force, the
Peasant SelfDefense Force of Cordoba and Uraba, said his group had nothing
to do with Friday's killing. But in a statement sent to Samper Sunday,
Castano pledged to find out whether another paramilitary gang, allied to
his own, may have been involved, local media reported.

Castano said he would order any paramilitary leader or member of his force
found to have taken part in the killings to surrender to the authorities.

In a reply to the paramilitary communique Sunday evening, the president's
office said it had "firm evidence" that paramilitary fighters were behind
Friday's "vile assassination." It welcomed Castano's offer to hand over
those responsible for the slayings, but said the security forces would
continue to hunt down the killers anyway.

In the second attack Saturday near the town of San Juan de Arama, 17
policemen were killed. A 200strong force of the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia, or FARC rebels, blew up two police trucks and fired machine
guns and grenades.

Less than a month ago, the army said it had the FARC on the run after it
launched a huge offensive in the southeast aimed at rooting out the rebels'
high command.

But in the past week, FARC rebels have tried to retake the political and
military initiative first rejecting Samper's calls to begin peace talks
and then staging a bomb attack on armed forces chief Gen. Manuel Jose
Bonett in the Caribbean port of Santa Marta. Bonett was not hurt in the
attack.

Colombia's guerrillas, who rose up more than 30 years ago, number about
15,000 and have de facto control of 40 percent of the country, according to
Western diplomats. More than 35,000 people have died in the fighting in the
past 10 years.