Rebel leader killed in Paraguay

A rebel leader has been shot dead by Paraguayan police on Wednesday near the country's border with Bolivia, reports said.

A leader of the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP), an armed group operating in the country's northern regions, was shot dead during an exchange of gunfire with the police in the border region of Chaco.

The fight broke out after the rebel leader refused to surrender despite police warning, Paraguayan Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola told a press conference.

The leader has been accused of kidnapping and killing the daughter of former President Raul Cubas in 2004.

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo has sent troops to the northern regions to crack down on the armed group.

Source: Xinhua