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| Peru police 'kill leading rebel' | Peru police 'kill leading rebel' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Peruvian government says police have killed an important leader of the still-active Shining Path guerrillas. | The Peruvian government says police have killed an important leader of the still-active Shining Path guerrillas. |
| Epifanio Espiritu Acosta, who was second-in-command of one of the two remaining Shining Path groups, was killed in Aucayacu, in central Peru. | Epifanio Espiritu Acosta, who was second-in-command of one of the two remaining Shining Path groups, was killed in Aucayacu, in central Peru. |
| Another eight guerrillas were arrested in the operation, police said. | Another eight guerrillas were arrested in the operation, police said. |
| The move comes at a time of increased violence against the security forces by the remnants of the group, who are now involved in drug trafficking. | The move comes at a time of increased violence against the security forces by the remnants of the group, who are now involved in drug trafficking. |
| Peru is the world's second largest producer of cocaine. | Peru is the world's second largest producer of cocaine. |
| The Peruvian police say there are two remaining groups of Shining Path guerrillas in the country's central jungle region, led by two leaders known as Artemio and Alipio. | The Peruvian police say there are two remaining groups of Shining Path guerrillas in the country's central jungle region, led by two leaders known as Artemio and Alipio. |
| Police 'close in' | Police 'close in' |
| The man killed in the police operation, Acosta - known as JL - was Artemio's second-in-command. | The man killed in the police operation, Acosta - known as JL - was Artemio's second-in-command. |
| Peru's Interior Minister, Luis Alva Castro, said they are now "very close to Artemio [and] getting closer". | Peru's Interior Minister, Luis Alva Castro, said they are now "very close to Artemio [and] getting closer". |
| The campaign against the rebels has seen hundreds of police killed | The campaign against the rebels has seen hundreds of police killed |
| The Maoist Shining Path staged a bloody insurgency in the last two decades in which almost 70,000 people were killed in massacres, bomb attacks and state reprisals. | The Maoist Shining Path staged a bloody insurgency in the last two decades in which almost 70,000 people were killed in massacres, bomb attacks and state reprisals. |
| Now the group's leadership are either dead or in prison, and only a few hundred guerrillas remain. | Now the group's leadership are either dead or in prison, and only a few hundred guerrillas remain. |
| But the last month has seen an increase in violence, with five police officers killed in two ambushes in coca-growing regions where the guerrillas protect drug traffickers. | |
| The Peruvian government has demanded more resources to confront the renewed threat. | The Peruvian government has demanded more resources to confront the renewed threat. |
| Meanwhile, Peru's cocaine production has grown by almost 10% in the last year. | Meanwhile, Peru's cocaine production has grown by almost 10% in the last year. |