Three soldiers killed in drone explosive attack on Colombian military complex

A drone attack on a military unit in northeastern Colombia killed three soldiers and wounded four others, the Colombian military said. The attack targeted a unit in Ocaña, in Norte de Santander near the Venezuelan border.

Two soldiers died at the scene and a third died after receiving medical treatment, the military said in a post on X. A clash broke out at the military complex after the attack, which occurred the previous night. Local authorities blamed the incident on the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN.

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

A significant part of the ELN is based in Catatumbo, a region spanning parts of Norte de Santander and Cesar. The group also provides shelter to dissident factions of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The ELN and the dissident groups are fighting for control of the strategically important area, which borders Venezuela and is one of Colombia’s main cocaine-producing regions.

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For every police officer or soldier killed, we will bring the full weight and legitimate force of the state down on the criminals.