Drone attack near Colombia's Venezuela border kills soldiers, officials blame ELN

A drone attack involving explosives, followed by a clash inside a military compound, killed at least three soldiers and wounded four others Friday in Ocaña, northeastern Colombia, the military said. Local authorities blamed the National Liberation Army, or ELN, for the assault near the Venezuelan border, although one report cited officials as giving a lower toll of two dead and five wounded. President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack and vowed to use the full force of the state against those responsible. The violence reflects an ongoing struggle in the coca-producing Catatumbo region, where the ELN and dissident former FARC factions compete for territory and have been linked to recent attacks on police facilities.