About 4,000 members of Colombia's elite Rapid Reaction Force (Fudra) closed in on 1,300 Marxist rebels in a remote south-western jungle area yesterday in an operation described by army generals as the most significant in recent years.
The attack was launched in response to rebel efforts to retake their former base at Carimagua, an access point to the Brazilian border which was retaken by government troops in January. The rebels belong to Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) which has fought a 37-year war against successive Colombian governments.
The Colombian army has pinned down several rebel units thanks to new military hardware including 24 Blackhawk helicopters and 14 combat planes. Over 200 pilots are flying night missions using satellite technology to launch lethal attacks on the mobile rebel units.
Colombian armed forces chief, Fernando Tapias confirmed yesterday that air force pilots pinpointed three trucks packed with rebels and bombed them from the air, killing dozens of people.
The attack came on the same day Colombian President Andres Pastrana secured regional support for Plan Colombia at the Rio Group summit, an annual meeting of 19 Latin American leaders.
Mr Pastrana assured leaders the US-backed plan was designed to combat drug trafficking rather than rebel groups.
The attack followed the arrest of three IRA suspects in Colombia last week which led to renewed calls by army commanders to put the peace process on hold and retake a 16,000 square mile zone ceded to the FARC as an incentive to begin peace talks.
This week Colombian authorities issued 40 international arrest warrants against foreigners they claim have trained or assisted the FARC in the peace zone.
The list of suspects, seen by the conservative Colombian daily El Tiempo, has citizens from 18 countries on it, including Ireland, Cuba, the US, Venezuela, Italy, Spain and Turkey. Meanwhile, Interpol agents have given Colombian authorities a list of 200 foreigners they believe are currently involved in pro-rebel activities.
"There will be no turning back," said the army commander, Gen Jorge Enrique Mora, speaking from the combat zone this weekend. "Not now that we have all the proof that the free zone is being used to train suicide bombers."
Right-wing paramilitaries stepped up their campaign yesterday by blockading various districts in Antioquia province, in north-west Colombia. Over 80,000 people are trapped in the besieged zone, without access to food or petrol, accused of harbouring rebel units.