Colombia’s ELN rebels warn of ‘reprisals’ after commander killed
Al Jazeera
Experts say a rise in attacks likely after the top commander of the leftist ELN armed group died after Colombia military bombing.
Bogota, Colombia – Colombia’s largest remaining armed group has warned of “reprisals” after a government bombing killed one of its top commanders this week, prompting experts to predict a rise in attacks.
National Liberation Army (ELN) commander Angel Padilla Romero, better known by the alias Fabian, died in a Cali hospital after being injured in a military bombing on Colombia’s west coast, the government announced on Tuesday.
The leftist group said in a statement on Thursday that they were “authorised” to “disproportionately use force and explosives” in response to the attack, which took place on the ELN’s Western Front in a dense jungle municipality in Choco province.