Third Colombian Soldier Dies After Drone Attack Blamed on ELN

Colombia’s Army said professional soldier Jhon Carlos Marrugo Manjarrez died during medical treatment after an explosive-drone attack on the Cantón Militar Trapiche in Ocaña, raising the military death toll to three. The attack struck the Norte de Santander compound on the night of September 4; troops moving to secure the perimeter then encountered alleged members of the National Liberation Army, or ELN. Captain Marco David Pirajón Montezuma and professional soldier Joel Alberto Jiménez Jaramillo were killed during the fighting, while four other soldiers remain wounded. The Army preliminarily blamed the ELN, and said shrapnel struck a Colombian Aerospace Force aircraft.