Drone attack and combat at a military facility in northeastern Colombia leaves three dead

An attack with explosives launched from drones, followed by a combat in a military compound in northeastern Colombia, has so far left three soldiers dead and four wounded, the Army reported on Saturday. The authorities attributed the attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN).

The assault occurred on Friday night in a military unit in the municipality of Ocaña, in the department of Norte de Santander, bordering Venezuela. Two soldiers died instantly and a third died despite receiving medical attention, the military institution stated in its latest report on the X social network.

The president, Abelardo de la Espriella, condemned the attack and warned in a message on

According to the military report, the attack began with the impact of explosives launched from drones inside the garrison, which was followed by combat outside while a platoon tried to secure the perimeter.

The Ministry of Defense reported the deployment of an operation in the area to protect the civilian population and announced that it will apply a new strategy in Catatumbo to put an end to what it described as "the criminal machinery of the ELN."