Colombia's armed forces carried out a bombing on Thursday against positions of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in a border area between the departments of Cauca and Nariño in the country's southwest, as part of the air offensive President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered against armed groups since taking power. The operation targeted a camp of the ELN's Southwestern War Front in the municipality of El Tambo, Cauca, NTN24 and Blu Radio reported.

Source: Demócrata (EFE-style report)

President de la Espriella confirmed on his social media accounts that nine ELN members were killed, including Neftalí Riascos Alegría, alias Marcos Pacífico, whom he described as one of the organisation's main leaders. The president himself said the information is preliminary and pending fingerprint verification — so the commander's death is reported here as the president's claim, not as an independently confirmed fact.

9ELN members the president said were killed — preliminary, pending fingerprint verification
470armed combatants in the ELN Southwestern War Front, according to Colombian authorities
230members in the José María Becerra front, the largest in that structure, authorities said

What the president claims about the commander

De la Espriella said Marcos Pacífico was the military head of the Southwestern War Front and the highest chief of the José María Becerra front, responsible — in the president's account — for directing three ELN fronts operating in Cauca, Nariño and Valle del Cauca. The president holds him responsible for kidnappings, attacks and assaults against security forces in Cali and Buenaventura and for forming ELN urban militias during the 2022 protests. Those are the president's allegations against a named commander and are reported as such; the ELN had not confirmed the deaths in Thursday's reporting.

Source: NTN24 — La Noche

Hours before the results were announced, the president shared a video in which he was recorded giving the order to Defence Minister Eduardo Mora to activate the operation, saying, in his words, "In my government, there is no truce against terrorism." Blu Radio's Voz Populi programme reported the order was given by radio at 1:00 a.m. from the presidential palace, with the president answering "Proceed, General" to authorise the air operation. NTN24 described this as the fifth bombing operation of his administration against groups the government calls narco-terrorist organisations.

Source: Blu Radio — Voz Populi

What is solid

  • Colombia's armed forces bombed an ELN Southwestern War Front camp in El Tambo, Cauca, on Thursday, Colombian outlets NTN24 and Blu Radio reported
  • President de la Espriella publicly ordered the operation and announced its results himself

What is only claimed

  • The president said nine fighters including commander Marcos Pacífico were killed — he said the figure is preliminary and pending fingerprint verification, and the ELN had not confirmed it in Thursday's reporting