There is a presence of the ELN in the Catatumbo area where the attack occurred, but until now it has not been reported whether this group was responsible, nor the exact circumstances in which the soldiers died.
News Colombia.
It is reported that “the attack with explosives” occurred early Wednesday morning in El Carmen, Catatumbo, a rural area of Norte de Santander and with serious public order problems, and six soldiers died.
They report that there were also eight wounded soldiers.
It would have been an ambush at the military base in that region.
This already generates strong criticism, due to the commitment of Paz Total and dialogues with the ELN, if this group was the author of these deaths.
Of the six soldiers killed, four are soldiers and two are non-commissioned officers.
“This attack would have been perpetrated by the ELN with explosive devices and rifle bursts while the soldiers carried out control operations in the area,” they indicate.
Until now, however, the Army has not publicly reported what happened.
????????#LaPrimeraDelDía | In military operations against drug trafficking in #caucaour soldiers seized more than two tons of narcotics, affecting the finances of the organized armed groups in the region by more than 2 billion.#Operational Forcefulness pic.twitter.com/8QWe0lrQ9H
– Colombian National Army (@COL_EJERCITO) March 29, 2023
The Catatumbo Region
The Catatumbo region is one of the most dangerous in the country, bordering Venezuela, and fueled by illegal economies and violent actors, who have been present in the area for decades.
Although the former FARC left the area, the demobilized, dissidents and other illegal armed groups remained.
El Tarra, is a municipality of almost 22,000 inhabitants, one of the 11 municipalities that make up that region. Located in northeastern Colombia, it is in the middle of the crossfire between ELN and EPL guerrillas, and other armed actors.
Clashes for territorial control and coca cultivation in the area constantly leave a trail of violence, death and fear.
The civilian population in the middle, intimidated, threatened.
In addition to El Tarra, the municipalities of Ábrego, Convención, El Carmen, Hacarí, La Playa de Belén, Ocaña, San Calixto, Sardinata, Teorama and Tibú, make up that region.
And it has areas where the inhabitants themselves point out “it is no man’s land” and in months no entity or the State is seen attending to security, social or other needs.
The illegals, if they make a presence.
