A Colombian army battalion came under attack on Friday, September 4, when explosive-laden drones swarmed the Trapiche Military Post in Ocaña, a city in the northeastern department of Norte de Santander near the border with Venezuela. Army sources confirmed to the newspaper El Tiempo that the assault left a captain and a soldier dead.
The attack also damaged a helicopter belonging to Colombia’s Air Force (FAC), which was hit during the assault, according to the same sources. Military officials have attributed the attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a leftist guerrilla group that has continued fighting the Colombian state even after other armed groups signed peace deals in recent years. The ELN has increasingly relied on drone technology in its confrontations with security forces.
Following the attack, the army deployed additional security personnel to the base, which also houses government-owned residences for military families. Officials say they are conducting inspections of every facility within the compound to assess further damage and determine whether more people were affected. Preventive measures have also been put in place in case of a follow-up attack.
The incident adds to a string of recent security concerns in the region; authorities recently announced the capture of an alleged ELN sniper accused of plotting an attack against Colombia’s president in the same department.
For more details, read the original report at El Tiempo.
Source: Atacaron con enjambre de drones batallón del Ejército en Ocaña: capitán y soldado murieron; impactaron helicóptero (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Jnyssen.