Colombia Army Expands Operations After Deadly Drone Attack

Explosive-laden drones struck the Santa Rosa del Sur Military Compound in Colombia’s northern department of Bolivar around midday Saturday, killing three soldiers and wounding eight, according to preliminary information from military sources. The figures remain subject to official verification. The Army is now stepping up operations in a region where armed groups compete for territory, illegal economies and drug-trafficking routes.

The Colombian Army’s 48th Jungle Battalion is based at the compound. The Army’s First Division confirmed that unmanned aircraft carrying explosives attacked the facilities, said it activated security protocols and began verifying the extent of the attack. Some wounded soldiers were being transferred to medical facilities in Barrancabermeja and Bucaramanga, in the department of Santander, for specialized care.

Casualties and competing claims

Early casualty reports differed, and the Army has not yet provided officially verified figures. The institution said the attack threatened the lives and safety of those serving Colombia and expressed solidarity with the families of soldiers killed and those recovering. Its statement called the attack a “serious violation of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.”

The Army also said: “We condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out against the military facilities in Santa Rosa, southern Bolivar, which has plunged our institution into mourning and threatens the lives and safety of those who serve Colombia (...) The killing of our soldiers and the injuries inflicted on other service members are criminal acts that must not go unpunished.” Those are the military’s words; responsibility for the drone strike had not been established.

The region has a strong presence of illegal armed groups, and the Army operates there against organizations linked to drug trafficking and other criminal activity. Initial reports pointed to possible involvement by the National Liberation Army (ELN), which has a significant presence in southern Bolivar. But no group had claimed responsibility in the information available, and the Army had not confirmed who carried out the attack.

Dissident factions of the former FARC and organizations linked to the Gulf Clan also operate in the area. Competition over territory, illegal economies and drug-trafficking routes has contributed to persistent violence. The people living amid that contest face the consequences of armed groups’ operations and state security campaigns, while the identities of those responsible for this strike remain unresolved.

An arrest, then an attack

The drone strike came one day after President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the capture of Leivis Enrique Valero Castillo, alias Carrito. Authorities accuse him of being a main figure behind illegal finances for the ELN’s Guamoco Resistance Front. Armed Forces and the National Police arrested him in the rural settlement of Mina Nueva, in Santa Rosa del Sur, during Operation Ocaso. The government described the arrest as a blow to the group’s financial structure, but authorities have not confirmed a direct connection between the arrest and the attack.

The Armed Forces stepped up operations after the strike to secure military facilities and prevent further assaults. The First Division asked local residents to share information that could help authorities anticipate threats to civilians and security forces. The account describes that request, but reports no community-led response or mutual-aid effort.

Three men were also killed early Saturday in a separate incident in the urban center of Santa Rosa del Sur. Its circumstances and those responsible remain under investigation. The use of explosive drones adds another challenge as armed groups adapt commercially available technologies for military operations.

De la Espriella condemned the attack and said he had ordered “our Public Forces to step up operations to identify, pursue and capture those responsible for this attack, strike their criminal networks, and regain control of the territories where they seek to impose fear and violence.” He wrote, “We will pursue them with all the legitimate force of the State until we dismantle their criminal organizations and bring them to justice,” and, “We will not give up a single centimeter of territory to terrorism.” His post ended: “Stand firm for the Homeland!” and “Long live Christ the King!”