Colombia's government has condemned what it called an incursion into its airspace by an Ecuadorian helicopter.

The Ecuadorian military helicopter was intercepted on Sunday by two Colombian helicopters before it returned to Ecuador, a Colombian statement said.

Relations have been tense since a Colombian raid into Ecuador on 1 March killed a senior Farc rebel leader.

The charge came after Ecuador sued Colombia in the international court at the Hague over anti-drug fumigation.

In the lawsuit, launched at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands on Monday, Ecuador claims that Colombian efforts to eradicate illicit Venezuela troops 'on border' ...
Colombian rebels 'free hostages' ...
Farc 'ready to release hostages' ... coca crops is damaging legitimate crops in Ecuador.

Quito says the aerial crop spraying is also a violation of Ecuador's sovereignty.

Colombia has used aerial spraying in an effort to wipe out the coca crops used to produce the cocaine which helps fuel the country's four-decade civil war.

'Negative results'

Later on Monday, a statement from Colombia's presidential office said a Gazelle attack helicopter from Ecuador's air force was intercepted in Colombian air space by two Black Hawk helicopters at 1110 (1610 GMT) on Sunday.

The Colombian helicopters "tried to establish radio contact with said helicopter with negative results," the statement said.

The Gazelle was escorted by the Colombian helicopters and ordered to land at an airport in Tumaco but it "descended suddenly and flew low to the south". The Colombians then called off the interception, their statement said.

Ecuador's defence ministry said it was investigating the case.

Colombia's 1 March raid into Ecuador struck a Revolutionary Armed Forced of Colombia (Farc) camp located just across the border.

A senior Farc commander, Raul Reyes, and more than 20 other people, including an Ecuadorian and four Mexican nationals, were killed.

The raid provoked the worst regional crisis in recent years. Ecuador and Venezuela sent troops to their borders, withdrawing them several days later after a meeting of regional leaders in the Dominican Republic soothed tensions.

(BBC)

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