Tragic drone attack leaves one soldier dead in Norte de Santander
Violence persists in the Catatumbo region. A sergeant of the Colombian National Army lost his life and four other uniformed personnel were injured following an attack carried out with explosive-laden drones in the municipality of El Carmen, in the department of Norte de Santander.
The military command reported that the soldiers belonged to the Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 10. The troops were carrying out security and protection tasks for the civilian population in this border area with Venezuela when they were surprised by the unmanned aerial offensive.
Attack details
The military institution confirmed the identity of the deceased soldier, who was identified as Second Sergeant Yuver Antonio Gutiérrez Torres. The four wounded soldiers were transported to medical centers to receive specialized care following the impact of the devices launched from the unmanned aerial vehicles.
As a consequence of this terrorist action, a non-commissioned officer was killed and four soldiers were wounded.
Official statement from the National Army
Escalation of violence in Catatumbo
This event marks a worrying trend in the region, being the second incident of this type recorded in less than 48 hours. Just on Thursday, a similar attack was reported in the municipality of Convención, where a military base was targeted by 43 explosive devices, leaving two soldiers injured.
The authorities point out that various groups outside the law operate in this area, including:
- The National Liberation Army (ELN).
- The 33rd Front of the dissidents of the former FARC.
These groups maintain a territorial dispute for control of coca leaf crops and strategic routes for drug trafficking. The use of drones to carry out attacks has become a recurring tactic in the Colombian armed conflict, representing a serious threat to both security forces and the civilian population living in these vulnerable areas.
