Wed Sep 18 03:36:24 UTC 2024: ## ELN Attack Kills Two Colombian Soldiers, Threatens Peace Talks
**BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)** – An attack on a military base in eastern Colombia has claimed the lives of two soldiers and injured at least 21 others, escalating tensions between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The Colombian military blamed the ELN for the attack, which involved homemade rockets fired from a cargo truck near a base in Puerto Jordan, Arauca province.
President Gustavo Petro hinted that the attack could lead to a suspension or cancellation of peace talks with the ELN, stating, “This is an attack that practically closes a peace process, with blood.”
The ELN, founded in the 1960s, has been engaged in peace talks with the Colombian government aimed at ending over five decades of conflict. However, the group ended a ceasefire in August and has since stepped up attacks on military targets and oil pipelines in Arauca province.
The ELN has also expressed frustration with the government’s recent efforts to initiate separate peace negotiations with one of its splinter groups.
The attack comes after a tense period following the expiration of a ceasefire between the government and the ELN in August.
Colombia’s defense ministry has vowed to act with “firmness and resolve” to restore security in the Arauca province.
First Piper 