ELN attack leaves at least six soldiers dead and 28 wounded at a Colombian military base

At least six soldiers were killed and 28 others wounded in a drone and explosives attack on a Colombian military base near the Venezuelan border, attributed to ELN guerrillas National Liberation Army (ELN), the South American country's Defense Ministry reported, according to the AFP.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez updated the casualty toll early Friday morning, after authorities initially reported four military personnel dead and a dozen wounded.

The attack took place at an infantry battalion facility located in a rural area of the department of Cesar, in the north of the country, according to a statement from the Colombia Military Forces.

"The terrorism of the ELN cartel is a threat that must be totally dismantled. Not to do so is to put the population at grave risk," said Sanchez on social network X, noting that the guerrillas used drones loaded with explosive devices.

Images disseminated on social networks show wounded military personnel being transferred on stretchers and wheelchairs to medical centers, as well as fires inside the base, presumably caused by the explosions.

The minister indicated that the wounded are receiving medical attention and announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification and capture of those responsible, or effectively anticipating terrorist attacks.