ELN attack on Colombian military base in Arauca kills two soldiers, injures 27

Two Colombian soldiers were killed Tuesday when the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla attacked a military base near Puerto Jordán in the department of Arauca. According to the Army’s Eighth Division, 27 others were injured during the attack.

The ELN launched explosive devices from a dump truck at a remote military base in Eastern Colombia. The blast caused significant damage to the base’s infrastructure, with the roof of the battalion collapsing, windows shattering, and debris scattered across the grounds, according to a statement from the Eighth Division of the Colombian Army.

“We inform the public that one of our units in Puerto Jordán, Arauca, was attacked with cylinder bombs launched from a dump truck. The situation is ongoing, and we are working to ensure security and restore order in the area,” the statement said.

Admiral Francisco Cubides, the Commander of Colombia’s Military Forces, condemned the attack, describing it as an attempt by the ELN to pressure the government in ongoing peace talks.

“This criminal act uses devices not permitted under International Humanitarian Law and impacts not only the military but also civilian operations in the surrounding area,” Cubides said. “We have no doubt that the ELN perpetrated the attack,” added the senior military official.

Cubides also stated that, with the attack, the ELN seeks “to draw attention so that the government accedes to their demands in the context of the peace talks.” Meanwhile, the commander of the National Army, General Luis Emilio Cardozo Santamaría, is heading to Arauca to lead the response to the attack, according to Defense Minister Iván Velásquez.

The ELN guerrillas have a significant presence in Arauca, a region where they often clash with dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Both groups are vying for control of the area, frequently carrying out attacks against Colombian security forces and the local civilian population.

Following the attack, the army activated emergency protocols and launched a security operation to secure the area and locate those responsible. Some of injured soldiers were taken to nearby medical facilities for treatment for shrapnel wounds, and 15 soldiers who are in critical condition were transfered to the Bogotá’s Hospital Militar.

“The ELN is dedicated to generating terror, violence, and intimidating the citizens of Arauca, especially. I completely reject this attitude; they are clearly showing that they are not interested in peace, and what the State must do is pursue those responsible for this attack. It cannot be that while the door to negotiation is still open, they resort to an act of terrorism,” stated Juan Fernando Cristo, the country’s Interior Minister. “The ELN have not understood the rejection of their actions by Colombians for many years,” he added.

Arauca has long been a hotspot for violence, with illegal armed groups fighting for territorial control. The ELN, the country’s largest remaining guerrilla group, continues to be active despite ongoing peace negotiations with the government. Cylinder bombs were used by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla against civilian populations during the height of the country’s internal conflict, including an attack against Bojayá on May 2, 2002.

The Bojayá massacre marked a turning point in Colombia’s internal armed conflict. On that day, FARC launched a cylinder bomb that struck a church in the town of Bojayá, in the department of Chocó, where civilians had sought refuge during clashes between the FARC and a paramilitary group. The explosion killed at least 79 people, including many children, and left scores injured. The massacre brought international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Colombia and intensified calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. It remains one of the most notorious incidents in Colombia’s decades-long struggle with armed groups.