Wednesday morning, two non-commissioned officers and seven soldiers were killed by an ambush by the ‘Camilo Torres’ front of the ELN in a rural area of the municipality of El Carmen, North Santander.
The troop of the Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 10 carried out security operations in the vicinity of the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline when she was attacked indiscriminately by the subversives with explosive devices and rifles.
With the attack killed instantly the second corporal Brayan Alberto Gómez Gamboa, a native of Palmyra, Valle del Cauca; and third corporal Juan Mateo Benavides Bohórquez, a native of Bogotá; as well as, the soldiers Jaime Manuel Redondo Uriana, of Manaure, La Guajira; Kevin Andrew Acevedo Osorio, of St. Albert, Cesar; Joan David Gomez Gelvez, native of Giron, Santander; Rafael David Fallece Jimenez, of Foundation, Magdalena; Herzel Jose Fernandez Bonivento, native of Riohacha, La Guajira; Jose David Pushaina Epiayu, of Manaure, The Guajira; and Fabio Spinach Ipuana, from Manaure, Guajira.
Some of the uniformed were members of the Wayúu indigenous group who regretted the violent episode.
The soldiers wore between 10 and 12 months rendering military service. In addition, they were with eight other colleagues who were injured and were transferred to care centers in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander.
The Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez Gómez, rejected the attack and questioned the attitude of the guerrilla group that is carrying out peace talks.
“With repudiation for this fact that very little contributes to peace and that seems more like a contradiction with these purposes of peace, but that it is a really so complicated situation of this aspiration for peace in the midst of war “Velasquez Gomez said.
President Gustavo Petro, for his part, announced that he had convened a consultation with the government delegation that is at the dialogue table with the ELN, the guarantor and accompanying countries for the armed attack.
The decision came after criticisms that arose in the political and social sector about the terrorist action of the guerrilla group.
“In addition to this attack, in recent days the ELN has increased the harassment against the civilian population in Cauca, Arauca, Chocó and Nariño with a flagrant violation of the norms of International Humanitarian Law that they claim to abide by. This hurts the confidence of citizens in the ELN’s desire for peace and deeply damages the cordiality in the talks and in the implementation of the agreements.” manifested Otty Patinohead of the Government Delegation in the peace talks with the ELN.
IN THE AREA
The National Army announced that it maintains the operations in the border area between Norte de Santander and Cesar against the guerrilla group.
“The protocols were activated through the Personnel Command to deploy a multidisciplinary team, in order to accompany the families of our murdered soldiers, as well as care for injured personnel and their relatives”reported the National Army.