Colombia reports 3 soldiers killed in ELN drone attack on military compound

Three soldiers are dead and four more wounded after a predawn assault on a Colombian military compound in the municipality of Ocaña, near the Venezuelan border. The attack, which Colombian authorities say was carried out by the National Liberation Army—known by its Spanish acronym ELN—marked an escalation in the country's long-running conflict with armed groups. According to an unnamed security official cited by the news agency AFP, the rebels deployed approximately twenty drones loaded with explosives against the facility in Norte de Santander department before fighters moved in to engage troops on the ground. Two soldiers died during the fighting itself; a third succumbed to injuries while receiving medical care.

The assault came just days into the presidency of Abelardo de la Espriella, who ran on a platform of aggressive military action against the armed organizations that have contested control across Colombia for decades. In a statement posted to social media, de la Espriella responded with a direct warning to the ELN: "To the ELN I say with absolute clarity: for every police officer or soldier you kill, I will bring down on you the full weight and legitimate force of the State." The language reflected the harder line his administration intends to take, a departure from previous diplomatic efforts and peace negotiations that had characterized earlier Colombian governments.

The Catatumbo region, where Friday's attack occurred, sits in the country's northeast and serves as a stronghold for the ELN. The government has already begun conducting military operations there against various armed factions competing for territory and resources. De la Espriella's campaign promises centered on returning Colombia to a militarized posture in its confrontation with these groups—a strategy that observers worry could intensify violence and create conditions for human rights violations, even as the administration argues it is necessary to restore state control.

The attack is one of several deadly incidents that have struck the country since de la Espriella took office, suggesting that armed groups are testing the new government's resolve or attempting to strike before military pressure intensifies. The ELN, which has operated in Colombia for decades, has historically maintained a presence in border regions where state authority is weaker and supply lines from neighboring countries can sustain operations.

De la Espriella has also signaled a closer alignment with the United States, pledging to deepen military cooperation as Washington pursues what it calls the "Shield of the Americas" initiative—an effort to expand American military involvement across the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with de la Espriella in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla next week, a visit that will likely include discussions about coordinated security strategies. De la Espriella, a former lawyer who previously represented paramilitary leaders, brings a particular perspective to these negotiations—one shaped by years of engagement with Colombia's most violent actors.