Suspected guerrilla drone attack kills three Colombian soldiers, army says

At least three Colombian soldiers were killed after explosives were dropped from drones and fighting broke out inside a military compound in northeastern Colombia, the army said Saturday.

The attack targeted a military unit in Ocaña, in the Norte de Santander department near the Venezuelan border. Two soldiers died at the scene and a third died after receiving medical attention. Four others were wounded, according to the military.

Local authorities blamed the attack late Friday on the National Liberation Army, or ELN. The military identified the dead as Captain Marco David Pirajón Montezuma, Professional Soldier Joel Alberto Jiménez Jaramillo and Professional Soldier Jhon Carlos Marrugo Manjarrez, saying they were killed during combat while carrying out their duty.

President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack. “For every police officer or soldier murdered, we will bring the full weight and legitimate force of the State down upon the criminals,” he said.

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For every police officer or soldier murdered, we will bring the full weight and legitimate force of the State down upon the criminals.

The president began his four-year term on Aug. 7 after winning a close runoff election in June. Since taking office, he has joined the Shield of the Americas, an anti-cartel alliance headed by the United States, and said he plans to form a military alliance with Israel and the United States to strengthen his campaign against Colombia’s guerrillas.

The ELN has operated since 1964, with much of its presence based in the Catatumbo region. The area includes parts of Norte de Santander and Cesar, connects to the porous Venezuelan border and is one of Colombia’s main coca-producing regions. The ELN and dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are competing for control there.

The attack followed other violence blamed on the ELN. An August explosion outside a police station in Cucuta injured 11 officers and killed a police dog. Earlier this week, a car bomb outside another police station in northeastern Colombia killed at least one civilian and injured 11 people.

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In the context of the operations deployed following these events, Captain Marco David Pirajón Montezuma, Professional Soldier Joel Alberto Jiménez Jaramillo, and Professional Soldier Jhon Carlos Marrugo Manjarrez were killed during an engagement in combat, while honorably and committedly carrying out their duty in service to the Nation.