Colombian forces kill deputy of country's most-wanted man: ministry

Mordisco is the leader of the Central General Staff dissident group, one of the largest outlawed armed groups in the South American nation, which is grappling with its worst violence in a decade.

His second-in-command, known by the alias Marlon, headed the group known by its Spanish acronym EMC in the southwestern Cauca region.

According to the defense ministry, he was responsible for an attack in April that killed 21 people. The EMC has claimed a "tactical error" led to the highway bombing,  the worst attack on civilians in two decades.

"In a joint operation by the military and the police, alias 'Marlon' was neutralized... in the southwestern region of the country," the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

President Gustavo Petro said on X that the operation was "the hardest blow we have dealt to the armed structures of the mafia in western Colombia."

Marlon was wanted for "homicides, terrorist acts, forced recruitment of minors, and drug trafficking," the ministry said.

He was "among the most wanted criminals internationally," Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a video accompanying the post.

Colombians vote Sunday to pick the country's new president -- a choice between hard-right Abelardo de la Espriella and his leftist rival Ivan Cepeda.

Petro will hand over power to the victor on August 7.