At least nine soldiers were killed and eight wounded in an attack carried out this morning against a unit of the Colombian Army in the Catatumbo region.
(Local and departmental authorities want to participate more in peace).
The attack was carried out in Guamalito, a corregimiento in the municipality of El Carmen, in the department of Norte de Santander.against soldiers of the Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 10, according to the first information from the Army.
The military were ambushed with explosives and rifle shots, and among the deceased are two non-commissioned officers, the information added.
The first indications suggest that the attack could have been carried out by the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN), which is particularly strong in the Catatumbo area and with which the government is carrying out peace negotiations.
(This is how the peace talks would impact the business climate in Colombia).
“We repudiate this criminal action that today mourns six families. These events do not contribute to achieving the peace for which the people of Norte de Santander have worked so hard.”said the Governor of that department on its Twitter account, which repudiated the attack.
In Catatumbo, which covers a dozen municipalities in Norte de Santander and is one of the regions with the most coca crops in Colombia, The 33rd front of the Farc dissidences, a stronghold of the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) and criminal gangs also operate.
The Army reported that its commander, General Luis Mauricio Ospina traveled to the area to lead the operations.
EFE
