section_path: Attacks/January
section_name: January
paragraph_text: January
  
  The initial assaults were perpetrated by the ELN against the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents, who remained in combat after the suspension of its operations as an armed group. Governor of Norte de Santander William Villamizar Laguado said that civilians were captured, about two dozen people had been injured, some 20,000 displaced in the outbreak of violence, and estimated that more than 80 people were killed. He described the resulting humanitarian situation as "alarming". According to a government report, among the victims are community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people who sought to sign a peace deal. Three people engaged in peace talks were reportedly kidnapped. ELN militants were allegedly killing civilians they accused of being collaborators of the FARC dissidents, kidnapping people from their homes and shooting them in the streets. Government forces were able to rescue dozens of civilians and evacuated them from the affected areas. On 17 January Gustavo Petro, suspended the ongoing peace talks with the ELN and demanded that the ELN ceases all attacks and allow authorities to enter the region and provide humanitarian aid to those affected. On 18 January, the mayor of Ocaña prepared the city stadium to receive the displaced and asked the national government to declare a state of emergency. On 20 January, the death toll surpassed 100 following continued outbreaks of violence.
  
  On 21 January, the government officially declared a state of internal commotion and launched a military offensive against ELN guerrillas. That same day, 14 members of the FARC 33rd front surrendered to the National Army of Colombia to avoid combat in El Tarra and Tibú municipalities of Norte de Santander, Among those who surrendered was a minor. Their weaponry was confiscated. Military forces continued offensive operations in the region. On 22 January, the Attorney General reactivated arrest warrants for 31 ELN leaders, including some who had represented the ELN during peace talks. A $700,000-reward was later offered for information leading to the capture of four ELN leaders: Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, Eliecer Herlinto Chamorro, Gustavo Aníbal Giraldo Quinchía and Israel Ramírez Pineda. An emergency decree came into effect in the region, to last 270 days.
  
  On 23 January, President Gustavo Petro accused Gustavo Aníbal Giraldo, alias «Pablito», of being the mastermind behind the attacks.
  
  On 24 January, the 30th Army Brigade of the Colombian Army began a ground offensive in 11 municipios of the Catatumbo region, following large waves of artillery strikes aimed at clearing the area, the offensive was codenamed Operation Catatumbo and was aimed at recapturing all lost ground as well as bringing the region under government control. The Colombian military deployed a large column of 20 M1117 armoured vehicles to supplement and reinforce the 5th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron deployed in the offensives as well as Santa Bárbara Sistemas 155/52 heavy artillery pieces to partake in the offensive. More than a thousand special operatives of the Rapid Deployment Force were also deployed to the area for the operation. The special forces engaged in heavy fighting supplementing the 2nd Division in multiple areas and were also able to evacuate a civilian family being trapped by the fighting. Colombian Defense Ministers Ivan Velasquez Gomez met with Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino López in San Cristóbal to discuss the situation and confirmed a military operation with the collaboration of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to fight the ELN on the border with Venezuela.
  
  On 25 January, the 30th Combat Engineering Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Miller Fernando Moreno also successfully conducted a special operation in the urban area of Tibú following artillery strikes the day prior. Eighty-four ELN combatants surrendered to Colombian authorities, 20 child soldiers were also rescued from ELN's 33rd Front. Fifty five rifles, two machine guns, a sniper rifle, twenty five pistols, 80 mortar shells, explosives, 300 anti-personnel mines, 20,327 rounds of ammunition and communications equipment were also seized. A high-pitched battle was fought in the southeast of El Tarra resulting in victory by the army and advances by its forces. A Colombian army vehicle was ambushed while conducting "stabilization operations", Colombian military reported no losses but three ELN members involved in the ambush were captured. On 27 January, further fighting continued and 13 dead bodies of FARC combatants including women and two child soldiers were discovered by the authorities in the villages of Vegas de Oriente, San José de Vegas and El Rosario, in the district of La Cecilia, three more bodies including a child were recovered later that day. By 27 January, 9,352 National Army troops and 795 police officers were engaged in conducting four simultaneous offensive operations in the region. The Council of State tasked Germán Calderón España to protect and remove minors from Catatumbo.
  
  Alias 'JJ Guaracas', a FARC commander surrendered to authorities on 29 January.
  
  On 30 January 2025, the Colombian military seized weapons of the Venezuelan Armed Forces during an operation against the FARC. As of 30 January, the National Army haf destroyed more than 2,645 ELN explosive devices.
  
  On 31 January, 16 peace signatories had been killed by the fighting and clashes.