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🇪🇸 Spain /Conflict & Security

ELN sniper arrested over alleged plot to attack Colombia’s president

From La Vanguardia · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Colombian police arrested an alleged ELN sniper accused of planning an armed attack against President Abelardo De la Espriella.
  • Authorities identified the suspect as alias Firu or Firulais and said he was captured in Ocaña during Operation Sparta.
  • A separate drone attack on an army base in Ocaña killed an officer and a professional soldier and wounded five others, the president said.

Colombian police have arrested an alleged ELN sniper accused of helping plan an attack against President Abelardo De la Espriella. Authorities identified the suspect as alias Firu or Firulais, who was captured Thursday in Ocaña, in the northeastern department of Norte de Santander near the Venezuelan border.

Captured: the ELN sniper who participated in planning an attack on my life!

· Abelardo De la EspriellaThe Colombian president announced the suspect’s arrest on X.

The arrest took place during Operation Sparta, coordinated by the National Police through its Criminal Investigation and Interpol directorate. De la Espriella said Firu belonged to the ELN’s Camilo Torres Restrepo Front and had specialized as a sniper.

“Captured: the ELN sniper who participated in planning an attack on my life!” the president wrote on X. He said intelligence indicated that Firu had been designated by the Northeastern War Front’s leadership to help plan and carry out an armed action against him. The ELN bloc controls part of the Catatumbo region, according to the report.

Intelligence information indicates that he had been designated by the Northeastern War Front’s leadership to participate in planning and carrying out an armed action against me.

· Abelardo De la EspriellaHe described the alleged role assigned to the detained ELN member.

Firu is also accused of killing three police officers in Río de Oro, in the department of Cesar, and of taking part in explosive attacks against security forces. He was wanted on charges including aggravated homicide of a protected person and the manufacture, trafficking or possession of firearms.

The preliminary report confirms the killing of an officer and a professional soldier, and five professional soldiers wounded.

· Abelardo De la EspriellaHe reported the casualties from the drone attack on the Ocaña military base.

The arrest came as two soldiers were killed in a drone attack on an army base in Ocaña. Explosives launched from drones struck the El Trapiche military canton, according to De la Espriella. Five professional soldiers were wounded, and an Air Force aircraft was hit by shrapnel. The army said it activated security protocols and was checking the extent of the damage.

To the families of our two murdered heroes, all my solidarity, my prayers and Colombia’s gratitude. To our wounded soldiers, I wish you a speedy recovery.

· Abelardo De la EspriellaThe president addressed the families of the soldiers killed in the attack.
About this summary

Originally published by La Vanguardia in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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