The article reports an attack in northeastern Colombia involving explosives dropped from drones, followed by a clash inside a military compound, resulting in the deaths of at least three soldiers and injuries to four others. The incident occurred in the municipality of Ocaña, within the Norte de Santander department, which borders Venezuela. Local authorities attributed the attack, which took place late Friday, to the rebel National Liberation Army (ELN) ¹.

The article further notes that President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack, vowing to respond with the full force of the state against those responsible. It also provides context about the ELN, mentioning that the group, active since 1964, maintains a significant presence in the Catatumbo region, encompassing parts of the Norte de Santander and Cesar departments. The ELN is said to harbor dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that did not participate in the peace agreement a decade ago. Both groups are reportedly competing for control of the strategically important region, which connects to the porous border with Venezuela and is a key area for coca production in Colombia ¹.

Footnotes

1. Source: Drone attack launched by suspected guerrillas kills at least 3 soldiers in Colombia (Yahoo News, via AP) ↩ ↩²

This is a summary. Read the original at yahoo.com.