US, Ecuador launch joint operations against drug-linked terror groups

New Delhi, Mar 4: Ecuadorian and United States military forces have begun joint operations in Ecuador targeting groups the partners have labelled designated terrorist organisations, the United States Southern Command said on Tuesday, quoting a BBC report.

The Southern Command said the military action is aimed at combating narco-terrorism and illicit drug trafficking, though it provided few details about the specific nature of the operations. The announcement follows comments by Ecuador’s President that Washington and other regional allies are entering a “new phase” of cooperation against powerful drug cartels, with much of the world’s cocaine trade flowing through Ecuador’s major ports.

The move comes amid heightened security concern over organised crime in Ecuador, which borders the world’s two largest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru.