Drone Attack on Colombian Army Base Kills Three Soldiers
Three Colombian soldiers were killed and at least 16 people were wounded in a drone attack on a military base in Santa Rosa del Sur, according to Al Jazeera. The attack involved explosives dropped from drones.
Santa Rosa del Sur is a small town in the foothills of the San Lucas mountain range. As of November 8, 2026, Colombian authorities had not said who carried out the strike.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August 2026, said those behind the attack would have "nowhere to hide." He had earlier cancelled peace talks with rebel groups.
The area is contested by the Gulf Clan, the National Liberation Army (known by its Spanish initials, ELN), and smaller groups led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the FARC. Colombia's 2016 peace agreement with the FARC led to the demobilisation, or disarmament and discharge, of more than 14,000 fighters.
The violence has not been confined to Santa Rosa del Sur. Last week, an attack on a military base in Tolima province used missiles made from gas canisters and killed four civilians, including a two-month-old baby, Al Jazeera reported.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, which tracks political violence, counted 34 attacks with bombs or explosives carried out by state forces and illegal armed groups in Colombia in the four weeks to October 16, 2026. According to the project, that was 9 percent higher than the average for the same four-week period last year.
