Colombia's FARC confirms its leader's death, successor

Bogota - Colombia's leftist FARC rebel group on Sunday confirmed the death of its leader, Pedro Antonio Marín alias Manuel Marulanda, according to television reports.

The government had on Saturday confirmed that Marin, who founded the Revolutionnary Armed Forces of Colombia(FARC) in 1964, died on of a heart attack March 26.

'A great leader has marched on,' FARC commander Timoleon Jimenez confirmed in a video broadcast by Venezuelan television channel Telesur.

The FARC leader known as 'Tirofijo' (sureshot) was believed to be in his late 70s. It was not clear where he died.

Jimenez said Alfonso Cano would take over as the leader of Latin America's largest rebel army, that currently holds among its hostages, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.