Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

Read more

Several people have reportedly been killed in suspected airstrikes carried out by the Venezuelan military against a camp belonging to Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group inside Venezuelan territory.

The information was reported by the non-governmental organisation Fundaredes.

The organisation provided the news agency with video footage showing several bodies scattered across the ground, fallen trees and the wreckage of what appeared to be a camp. The footage was reportedly recorded on October 30 in a forested area of Venezuela's Apure state, near the Colombian border.

According to Fundaredes director Javier Tarazona, one of the organisation's staff members counted nine bodies at the scene. He described the incident as Venezuela's first bombing operation against the ELN, which is considered the most powerful active guerrilla organisation in the region since the main faction of Colombia's FARC disarmed in 2016.

Fundaredes and human rights activist and military affairs expert Rocío San Miguel said information obtained from local residents pointed to around 10 additional deaths among ELN members. According to their accounts, the airstrikes hit the Buena Vista del Meta area of Apure state, which borders Colombia's Vichada department.

It was also noted that other armed groups operate along the 2,219-kilometre border between Colombia and Venezuela, including factions that broke away from the former FARC guerrilla organisation. These groups compete for revenues from drug trafficking and illegal mining.

Bogotá has long accused the Venezuelan authorities of providing shelter to illegal armed groups operating in Colombia.

With US support, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is conducting military operations against armed groups financed by drug trafficking.

Image: AFP