BOGOTA, March 2 (Reuters) - The Colombian government said on Sunday it had been necessary for Colombian troops to enter Ecuador for a military operation during which it killed a top FARC guerrilla commander.

Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said in a televised statement that it had been "indispensable" for Colombian troops to enter Ecuadorean territory during the bombing raid on Saturday to kill Raul Reyes, a leader of Marxist FARC rebels.

In response to the incursion, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa sent troops to the Colombian border and expelled Colombia's ambassador on Sunday.

(Reporting by Pat Markey, Editing by Stacey Joyce and Sandra Maler)

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