Sansón, a Colombian bomb-sniffing dog, lost one of his legs in an explosion while he was detecting explosives. However, the surviving animal has now been hailed as a hero, as he managed to save the lives of 36 soldiers.
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According to the Colombian army, the incident occurred in Yondó, Antioquia, during a territorial control operation. While bomb-sniffing, a bomb planted by the National Liberation Army (ELN), a guerrilla insurgency group, exploded.
As a result, one of Sansón’s legs was shattered. However, the dog managed to drag his body and reunite with Carlos Eduardo Beleño. He is a soldier and his handler. It was through his protective instinct and training, as per the Colombian army, that Sansón managed to prevent a far greater tragedy.
Sansón underwent surgery, which required his leg to be amputated. However, his heroic actions will never be forgotten.
“He will no longer be able to serve, but his legacy will live on in every soldier he bravely protected,” the Colombian army wrote. “Sansón is a symbol of courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. Our commitment to Colombia remains steadfast: to neutralize threats and protect our people.”
“His legacy is a testament to the heroism and bravery of our men in defending sovereignty,” the Colombian army’s second division wrote on X.
A Guerrilla Terrorist Organization
The ELN is a guerrilla group that has roughly 6,000 members. They are currently fighting the Colombian government, as per CBS News. The group has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
“The explosive, placed on a community-used path by the Édgar Amílkar Grimaldo Barón Front of the ELN, blatantly violated International Humanitarian Law,” the Colombian army said. “The intent to harm the troops put the entire civilian population at risk.”
As per CBS, negotiations between ELN and the Colombian government were ongoing until January. These were suspended after the ELN was blamed by the government for carrying out dozens of deaths at the Colombian border with Venezuela.
Furthermore, just days before Sansón was injured, the ELN was blamed for attaching a bomb to a donkey. The explosion killed a soldier and wounded two others.