Two Police Officers Killed in Colombia Blast Linked to ELN

Two police officers were killed on Sunday in an explosion in northeast Colombia, an incident attributed to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a guerrilla group active since the 1960s. The attack occurred in Cúcuta, a city located in the department of Norte de Santander, where authorities reported the officers were targeted in what they describe as a “terrorist attack.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the killings of the police superintendent and the sub-superintendent, emphasizing the need for increased security along the Colombian-Venezuelan border. In response to the violence, Petro announced plans to bolster troop presence in the region, which has witnessed escalating conflicts.

The director of the Colombian National Police, General William Ospina, confirmed via social media that two attacks took place in Norte de Santander. One resulted in the deaths of the officers, while another incident injured two soldiers in a different neighborhood. Images from local media depicted a road damaged by the explosion, highlighting the severity of the attack.

According to Ospina, initial investigations suggest that these assaults were “retaliation” by the ELN, aimed at countering police operations against the group. The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported a troubling surge in hostilities across Colombia, leading to what its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, described as a “sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation.”

The ELN, which has been armed since 1964, was involved in peace negotiations with Petro’s government. However, those talks collapsed earlier this year following an attack in Catatumbo that resulted in nearly 100 fatalities. The ELN is engaged in a struggle for control over the border region with Venezuela against dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), particularly the “33rd Front,” which rejected the 2016 peace agreement.

The violence continued on Saturday, with an explosive attack in Cauca, located in Colombia’s southwestern region, injuring seven individuals. In a related development, President Petro announced that the indictment against the top leader of the FARC dissidents, known as Iván Mordisco, is prepared for submission to the International Criminal Court. However, the timeline for this filing has not been disclosed.

As Colombia grapples with increasing violence and complex political dynamics, the recent attacks underscore the ongoing challenges the country faces in achieving lasting peace.