Three Colombian soldiers have tragically lost their lives in a drone attack in the south-western part of the country, an incident attributed to a dissident rebel faction. The strike targeted personnel from the navy and army who were stationed at a checkpoint along the Naya River. Alongside the fatalities, four additional members of the security forces sustained injuries during the assault.
The use of drone attacks has surged in Colombia in recent years, with 115 such incidents reported in 2024 alone, predominantly carried out by illegal armed groups. In response to this escalating threat, the Colombian government launched a strategic initiative earlier this month to enhance its anti-drone measures, focusing on improved detection and neutralization of these aerial devices.
This most recent drone attack occurred near Buenaventura, a Pacific coastal city that is a significant center for drug trafficking. Authorities have identified the deceased soldiers as Wilmar Rivas, Andrés Estrada, and Dario Estrada. The assailants are linked to splinter groups from the Farc rebel organization, which chose to reject the peace agreement reached by the group's leadership in 2016.
The Naya river area frequently serves as a route for transporting cocaine, the principal revenue source for these illegal armed factions. Military officials have pointed to a leader known as Iván Mordisco as being behind the drone strike. Mordisco's faction is known for its involvement in a range of criminal enterprises, including farmer extortion, illegal mining, and drug trafficking, having exited peace negotiations with the government in April 2024.
As Colombia faces challenges from targeted attacks on its security forces, recent weeks have seen a steep rise in violence, with 27 reported deaths linked to such incidents.
