Colombian authorities have reported that at least three soldiers were killed and several others injured in an attack on a military compound by an armed group that utilized drones to drop explosives. The Colombian army stated on Saturday that the attack was carried out by the rebel National Liberation Army (ELN) the previous night in the municipality of Ocana, near the Venezuelan border.

Two soldiers died in the clashes, and a third succumbed to injuries after receiving medical attention. Four others were wounded. President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack in a social media statement, declaring: “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.”

Authorities said drones dropped explosives onto the compound in the Norte de Santander department before fighting broke out inside the facility. The AFP news service reported that at least 20 explosive-laden drones were used in the attack, citing an unnamed security official.

De la Espriella won office on a pledge to return Colombia to militarized confrontation with armed groups and criminal organizations vying for influence across the country, despite concerns that it could lead to surging violence and possible rights abuses. Deadly attacks by armed groups have continued to rattle the nation since his inauguration.

Friday's attack occurred in the northeastern Catatumbo region, where the ELN is based and where the government has conducted military raids against armed groups. De la Espriella has also promised closer ties with the United States, which has sought to expand its military involvement in the region under the so-called “Shield of the Americas” initiative.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with de la Espriella, a former lawyer who previously represented paramilitary leaders, in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla next week.

Source: www.aljazeera.com