I want to inform the country that in a joint operation by the Armed Forces and the National Police the member of the Secretariat of FARC, alias Raul Reyes was killed. To date, this is the most overwhelming blow to this terrorist group.

1. Through human sources and information verifed by the State's intelligence, the Colombian Government came to know that guerrillas of the 48 block of Farc were near the border with Ecuador at a place called Granada and that in the night of February 29, Raul Reyes, a member of the Secretariat would be present at the site. 

2. An operation was prepared in order to attack the place where the guerrillas of Block 48 were stationed according to the source, an operation which started early this morning, exactly at 00.25 bombarding it by the units of the Air Force. 

3. At the moment when the helicopter units were getting near to the place, they were attacked from a camp belonging to FARC at the Ecuatorian side, less than 1.800 mts from the border. Unfortunately, one of our soldiers, Carlos Hernandez Leon, died in this attack. 

4. The localization of the camp from where the shots were fired, south of the Putumayo River, at a place called Santa Rosa was immediately reported, in order to respond to the attack and neutralize the enemy. 

5. With the coordinates, the Colombian Air Force proceeded to attack the camp from the Colombian side, always bearing in mind the order not to tresspass the Ecuadorian air space.

6. Once the camp was bombarded, the Colombian troops were ordered to enter to secure the area and neutralize the enemy. The Police was also ordered to keep it secure until the Ecuadorian authorities reached the site. 

7. At present, the result of this operation is of 17 guerrila killed. Among them, the member of the Secretariat of Farc, Luis Edgar Devia Silva, also known as "Raul Reyes", as well as one of the farc's ideologist, Guillermo Enrique Torres, alias "Julian Conrado". The corpses of alias "Raul Reyes" and alias "Julian Conrado" were taken to Colombian territory to avoid Farc trying to recover them and they are now in the hands of the Colombian authorities. 

8. President Uribe contacted President Correa in order to inform him of this situation.