Colombia’s National Army has confirmed that a third soldier has died following an attack by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group on a military installation in Ocaña, a city in the northeastern department of Norte de Santander near the Venezuelan border.
Professional soldier Jhon Carlos Marrugo Manjarrez had been receiving medical treatment for severe injuries after explosive-laden drones struck the Trapiche military base. According to the Army, he died despite the efforts of medical personnel who had been treating his condition. His death brings the total number of soldiers killed in the assault to three.
The ELN, Colombia’s oldest active guerrilla organization, has increasingly relied on armed drones in its ongoing conflict with government forces, a tactic that has raised alarm among military officials in recent months. The group has been fighting the Colombian state for six decades, and peace talks with the current government have repeatedly stalled.
In response to the attack, the regional government of Norte de Santander announced a reward of 100 million Colombian pesos—roughly $25,000—for information leading to those responsible for the assault on security forces in the area.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the identities of the other soldiers killed or the full extent of the damage to the base. You can read the original report, in Spanish, on El Tiempo’s website.
Source: Falleció otro soldado tras ataque del Eln a cantón militar en Ocaña, Norte de Santander: ya son tres muertos (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: mark6mauno, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).