Colombia’s armed forces said Wednesday they have killed four alleged rebels of the ELN, one of them a prominent commander, in one of the rebel group’s strongholds.
General Ricardo Gomez, commander of the army’s 16th Brigade, told press that soldiers had been able to kill “Almeida,” the second in command of the ELN’s Jose David Suarez front.
The ELN commander and three of his fellow rebels were killed in combat in Tame, a municipality in the northeastern Arauca department that borders Venezuela.
One suspected female rebel was arrested.
The Colombian army has been involved in several offensive operations in the remote department; earlier this week, five alleged FARC guerrillas were killed in combat in the nearby Arauquita municipality.
MORE: Colombian military kills ’5 FARC guerrillas’
