Colombia: 5 soldiers killed, 6 injured in ELN attack in Arauquita

On Saturday, rebels from National Liberation Army (ELN) attacked a rural region of Colombian municipality of Arauquita in department of Arauca, killing five troops and wounding six more.  wounded soldiers were quickly moved to a medical facility, where y are still healing from ir injuries, while army is organising proper legal proceedings with competent authorities.

Colombian Army stated that Colombian soldiers sent ir profound condolences to families, friends, and colleagues of  heroes.

Colombian President denounced attack

Colombian President Ivan Duque denounced incident on Twitter, stating, "se cowardly acts are product of despair in face of military pressure. For memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures."

Earlier on June 15th, defence minister announced that a car bomb explosion at a military facility in Colombian border city of Cucuta injured 36 people, blaming attack on ELN. blast occurred at a base utilised by 30th Army Brige in city's norastern outskirts, close to Venezuelan border.

ELN is one of Colombia's two primary guerrilla forces with left-wing political ideology. It began as a Marxist-Leninist nationalist movement but has now shifted its focus to kidnapping, extortion, and attacks on economic infrastructure and, after deces of avoiding drug trafficking, it has recently been tied to drugs tre and has sought relationships with significant drug trafficking groups, according to InSight Crime. Colombia's government, United States, Cana, European Union, and Venezuela's National Assembly have all designated group as a terrorist organisation.

History of ELN

ELN was founded in 1960s, just as Colombia was emerging from a dely sectarian conflict known as "La Violencia," and several religious and student movements were gaining power in country, some of which drew inspiration from Cuban revolution, according to InSight Crime. From beginning, when little armed insurgency began training in San Vicente de Chucuri, in department of Santander, se two movements would constitute heart of guerrilla force. Six months later, on January 7, 1965, rebels took over Simacota, a small village in Santander, and declared ir presence.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP