BOGOTA, Colombia, Feb 3 (Reuters) -
Colombia has apologized to Ecuador for an incident on Jan. 28, when it
said its warplanes might have violated its neighbor's airspace in pursuit
of Marxist rebels.
Ecuador's government, which has declared
itself neutral in Colombia's U.S.-backed anti-insurgent war, had reacted
furiously to the incident, in which it said Colombian military aircraft
fired at its side of the border, terrifying locals.
In a communique issued late on Thursday, the Colombian government admitted that, "in an accident, unpremeditated manner, there might have been an involuntary entrance into Ecuadorean airspace".
"If this indeed happened, the Colombian government regrets the incident and will take the appropriate action," it continued.
The Colombian aircraft were pursuing members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a guerrilla army known by its Spanish initials FARC, which has been fighting for socialist revolution since 1964.
Relations between Ecuador and Colombia have often been strained by Colombia's war. The Ecuadoreans fear violence could spill over into their territory, while the Colombian military says in private that the FARC regularly flees to safety across the Ecuadorean border.