Colombian soldier dies after landmine explosion in Catatumbo

Professional soldier José Oswaldo Zapata Cuéllar has died in a medical center in Cúcuta after being severely injured by an explosive device during a military operation in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander.

The incident occurred following aerial bombardments targeting camps belonging to Frente 33, a faction of the FARC dissidents. As ground troops entered the area between Tibú and El Tarra to secure and register the sector, they triggered a landmine. The explosion injured three service members: Captain Geovanny Guerrero Montes, and soldiers Luis Ángel Ceballos Ramírez and José Oswaldo Zapata Cuéllar.

General Erick Rodríguez, commander general of the Military Forces, described the incident as an ‘act of barbarism’ and confirmed that the operation resulted in the deaths of four members of Frente 33, including a 16-year-old girl. The military stated that operations against this armed structure will continue in accordance with the Constitution and International Humanitarian Law.