BOGOTA, Sept 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least five soldiers were killed and six were wounded on Saturday in an attack by guerrillas from the National Liberation Army (ELN) in a rural area of the Colombian municipality of Arauquita in the department of Arauca.
According to authorities, the wounded men were promptly transferred to a health center, where they are recovering from their injuries, while the army “is coordinating the corresponding legal procedures with the relevant authorities.”
“The soldiers of Colombia express their heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of our murdered heroes,” said the Colombian Army.
Colombian President Ivan Duque condemned the attack, saying on Twitter, “These cowardly acts are the product of despair in the face of military pressure. For the memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures.”
The ELN is a revolutionary left-wing armed group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict, which has existed in the country since 1964.
The group has been classified as a terrorist organisation by the governments of Colombia, the US, Canada, the European Union and Venezuela’s National Assembly. — NNN-XINHUA
