Military sources confirmed the first bombing against the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Catatumbo region under the government of Gustavo Petro. The operation targeted the Northeastern War Front in an area located between the municipalities of Tibú and El Tarra, in the department of Norte de Santander.

The high-precision operation was carried out around midnight on Wednesday, based on intelligence indicating the presence of between 50 and 60 guerrillas in a strategic encampment area for territorial control and drug trafficking routes.

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The National Army reported the neutralization of seven ELN members and the capture of one more, in addition to the seizure of a large quantity of weapons and ammunition. “Our soldiers on the ground report the neutralization of seven individuals, members of the ELN armed group, and the capture of one more.

During the military operation, a large quantity of war materiel was seized, including long and short firearms, ammunition, improvised explosive devices, destroyed drones, and grenades adapted for unmanned aerial vehicles,” the Armed Forces stated via social media.

The operation involved the coordinated participation of the National Army, the Colombian Aerospace Force, and the National Police. Following the bombings, troops were deployed by land and air to the exact location of the attack to verify the results and conduct reconnaissance.

The Commander General of the Armed Forces, General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, affirmed that “we continue the sustained and coordinated offensive in Catatumbo. The Armed Forces are maintaining maximum operational effort to decisively weaken the ELN and GAO-r structures that threaten the civilian population.”

President Gustavo Petro contextualized the action as the fourteenth bombing of his administration, highlighting the measures adopted to protect minors recruited by the guerrillas. “This is the 14th bombing in my administration, minimizing the impact on minors,” the president wrote on his Twitter account. Simultaneously, he invited farmers to participate in the voluntary eradication of coca crops: “I invite farmers to voluntarily eradicate coca crops. The Presidential offices must prioritize crop substitution.”

The bombing occurs within the context of armed conflict in the border region with Venezuela, where the ELN and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents have been vying for territorial control and illicit crops since January 2025.

According to official figures, these clashes have left more than one hundred dead and forced the displacement of approximately 65,000 farmers. The Colombian Armed Forces reiterated that “the offensive respects human rights” and aims to “safeguard the lives and well-being of the populations affected by the confrontations carried out by organized armed groups.”

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