'Equine armed with explosives': Mule laden with explosives kills soldier in Colombia; National Liberation Army blamed

A Colombian soldier was killed and two others injured on Wednesday after explosives carried by a mule detonated in rural northeastern Colombia, said Antioquia governor Andres Julian Rendon, as reported by AP.

He confirmed the soldier’s death and blamed the National Liberation Army (ELN), a guerrilla group of around 6,000 fighters still engaged in conflict with the government.

Rendon said the soldiers were patrolling near Valdivia when they were targeted by “an equine armed with explosives.” The army later confirmed that the animal was a mule and condemned what it described as “the cruel and macabre use of animals to carry out terrorism,” as quoted by AP.

While car and motorcycle bombs are more common in Colombia, the military said the last known use of an animal for such an attack was in 2013, involving a dog. In the past, horses and donkeys have also been used to transport explosives.

President Gustavo Petro had initiated peace talks with the ELN and other armed groups under his “Total Peace” plan. However, those talks were suspended in January after the ELN launched an offensive against a rival group near the Venezuelan border, killing more than 90 people.