A drone attack on a military base in northern Colombia killed three soldiers and injured at least eight others, Colombia's army announced in a statement on Saturday.
The strike hit a base located in Santa Rosa del Sur, a small town situated on the foothills of the San Lucas mountain range. The surrounding area is rich in gold mines and has long been a site of territorial conflict among illegal armed groups, including the Gulf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and smaller factions led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Authorities have not yet stated who carried out the assault.
Footage circulated on social media showed thick clouds of smoke rising from the military installation following three distinct explosions. The video captured soldiers scrambling to seek protection inside shelters constructed from sandbags.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the strike in a message posted Saturday on X. "Those who were behind this attack … will have nowhere to hide," de la Espriella said. "Every attack against our soldiers strengthens our resolve to defend Colombia."
Rural areas across Colombia have experienced an intensification of violence since de la Espriella took office in August. The conservative president cancelled peace negotiations with the nation's remaining rebel organizations and shifted to a confrontational defense strategy. His policy includes increased use of military airstrikes, the militarization of strategic cities, and the creation of specialized joint task forces to safeguard key national infrastructure, such as a major pipeline connecting the Caribbean coast to central Colombia.
Armed groups and drug syndicates have responded to the government's military pressure by intensifying attacks against state security forces. Last week, a military installation in Tolima province was hit by improvised missiles crafted from gas canisters, an assault that killed four civilians. In the border city of Cucuta, police officers have been repeatedly targeted with remotely detonated explosive devices.
Prior to de la Espriella taking office in August, previous government attempts to conduct multi-party peace talks with rebel groups yielded little progress. De la Espriella's administration contends that drug cartels and insurgent groups abused state-granted ceasefires to strengthen their control over rural communities, where they extort local businesses and profit from drug trafficking. At the same time, smaller breakaway factions have been embroiled in violent rivalries over territories vacated by FARC guerrillas.
Data published by ACLED, a global conflict monitoring organization, highlights the recent escalation in explosive violence. Colombian state forces and non-state armed groups carried out 34 attacks involving bombs or explosives during the four-week period ending Oct. 16, marking a 9% rise compared to the previous year's four-week average.
