The leader of Colombia's main leftist rebel group -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- died in a military operation in the country's southwest, President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday.
" I confirm the death of Alfonso Cano. The No. 1 of FARC is dead," Santos said. "This is the most overwhelming blow given to the FARC in all of Colombia's history."
The military operation that took place Friday in the state of Cauca also killed Cano's communications chief, a female friend and members of his security team, Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon told reporters. Cano's chief of security was captured.
"The death of Alfonso Cano is the most important historical mark of our military forces and our national police in our fight against the FARC organization," Pinzon said. "He was part of the organization for over 33 years. He was their ideologue, their political figure and most importantly, he was a despised terrorist ready to act in a radical way ..."
Cano, an alias for Guillermo Leon Saenz, took over the FARC's top spot in March 2008 after an apparent heart attack killed the former leader, Manuel Marulanda.
"This is great news for all the Colombian people," said Labor Minister Rafael Pardo. "This will help the peace process and it shows that armed conflict is no longer the way forward in Colombia."
The FARC has been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s. While severely weakened in recent years, the guerrilla group has continued to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces in the South American nation.
The United States and European Union consider the FARC a terrorist organization.
In July, Santos said Cano escaped an attack by less than a day. At the time, security forces raided a remote camp believed to have been his hideout.
After the raid, authorities found clothes they believe belonged to Cano.
CNN affiliate Caracol TV reported that authorities also found large quantities of the cigarettes the FARC leader is thought to smoke.
"We were very close," the president told reporters at a military airport in Bogota.
He said security forces had acted on an intelligence tip from one of Cano's "own people."
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