"I have cabinet meetings; I will leave here and personally direct the operations because no one is going to stage an armed strike in the era of the Tiger," he said.

His remarks followed an operation against the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN) in Santa Marta. Seven members of the group were killed, including Jose Luis Perez Villanueva, alias Cholo, according to authorities.

"We are coming for all those bandits, and whoever does not submit will end up like Cholo and the other six bandits taken down, in a bag and dead," De la Espriella said.

The president also warned that the government would continue operations against criminal groups.

"In this government, the law is upheld, or we will bring the full weight and power of the State down on those who believe they can bring the Colombian people to their knees," he added.

Authorities identified Cholo as the second-in-command and a financier of the ACSN. He was accused of having more than 15 years of criminal activity and coordinating drug-trafficking routes to Central America .

Three people were also arrested during the operation. Authorities seized 10 rifles, two grenade launchers, two pistols, eight 40-millimetre grenades and other military equipment.

Following the operation, the government convened an extraordinary security council in Santa Marta to assess the security situation and coordinate further measures in the region.