Colombian soldiers died in attack in the department of Arauca

(Photo by Gabriel Aponte / Vizzor Image / Getty Images)

(CNN Spanish) -

Five Colombian soldiers died and six others were injured after being attacked early Saturday in the municipality of Arauquita in the Arauca department in northeastern Colombia.

The military was on a mission to protect an oil pipeline, Colombian Minister Diego Molano reported in a video statement.

Molano described the attack as a "terrorist and cowardly act" and blamed the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

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In a tweet published on Saturday, Colombian President Ivan Duque condemned the attack.

"We are hurt by the murder and injury of several of our heroes," he wrote.

Duque also reported that he ordered the Army Commander, General Eduardo Zapateiro, to move to the area to attend to the situation.

“These cowardly acts are the product of despair in the face of military pressure.

For the memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures, ”Duque assured in a second tweet.

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We regret and condemn the cowardly terrorist attack against a platoon of our @COL_EJERCITO in Arauca.

The murder and injury of several of our heroes hurts us.

This, clearly, is an act between the ELn and the FARC dissidents planned from Venezuela.

- Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) September 11, 2021