Ecuador: Colombia used U.S. weapons in attack on FARC camp

Colombia used U.S.-facilitated electronic weapons and technology in its attack on a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) camp in Ecuadoran territory, Ecuadoran Defense Minister Wellington Sandoval said on TV Thursday.

Five U.S. "intelligent bombs" were used by Colombia in Saturday's attack, he said. The raid resulted in the deaths of 21 FARC rebels, including second-in-command Raul Reyes.

Sandoval said only the U.S. army possessed the kind of bombs used by Colombia in the attack, reiterating that no other military force in Latin America had comparable electronic equipment.

The highly precise intelligent bombs fell in a radius not bigger than 50 meters from the FARC base, located 1.5 km inside Ecuador an territory, the minister said, citing military experts who had inspected the attack site.

The defense minister also proposed that Ecuador increase the budget of its armed forces to reinforce the country's northern border with Colombia.

Saturday's operation prompted Ecuador to cut off diplomatic ties with Colombia and seek international condemnation of the act at the Organization of American States meeting held Tuesday.