An attack involving explosives dropped from drones and a later confrontation at a military base in northeastern Colombia resulted in at least three soldiers killed and four others injured, according to the Colombian military. The incident took place in Ocaña, a town in the Norte de Santander department, which shares a border with Venezuela. Two soldiers died at the scene, and a third later succumbed to injuries after receiving medical treatment. Local authorities have attributed the attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a rebel group that has been active in Colombia since 1964. President Abelardo de la Espriella strongly condemned the attack, vowing that for every police officer or soldier killed, the government would respond with "the full weight and legitimate force" against those responsible. The ELN is primarily based in the Catatumbo region, which spans parts of Norte de Santander and Cesar departments. This area is of strategic importance due to its proximity to the porous Venezuela border and its role as a major producer of coca, the raw material for cocaine. The ELN also includes dissident factions from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a group that signed a peace agreement a decade ago but some members refused to join. The Catatumbo region has become a battleground for control between the ELN and remnants of the FARC, both of which seek to dominate the area's lucrative drug trade and geographic significance. In August, a similar attack occurred when an explosion outside a police station in Cucuta, a city near the Venezuelan border, injured 11 officers and killed a police dog. Officials blamed the ELN for that incident as well. Earlier this week, another attack took place in northeastern Colombia, where a car bomb exploded outside a police station, killing at least one civilian and injuring 11 others. These repeated attacks highlight the ongoing security challenges in the region, where both rebel groups and government forces are locked in a struggle for influence and control.