Colombia military base hit by drone strike, leaving three dead and 16 injured

A drone strike targeting a military outpost in northern Colombia left three soldiers dead and at least 16 others injured, the nation's military announced on Saturday.

The strike targeted an installation located in Santa Rosa del Sur, a municipality positioned near the San Lucas mountain range. Official statements from military leadership confirmed the casualties, though officials have not formally identified which organisation carried out the operation.

Video circulating online from the scene showed smoke billowing into the air following three consecutive blasts, while service members sought protection behind sandbag barriers.

The region where the strike occurred contains substantial gold mining interests and has experienced persistent territorial fighting between competing illegal factions. These include the National Liberation Army, the Gulf Clan, and breakaway elements who refused to demobilise following the 2016 peace treaty between the national government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella responded to the incident on social media, warning that perpetrators would face justice and stating that attacks on military personnel only reinforce the government's commitment to national security.

The incident comes amid an escalation of rural unrest since President de la Espriella, a conservative leader who took power in August, ended negotiations with armed factions. His administration adopted an aggressive posture that incorporates heightened aerial operations, increased security personnel deployments in major urban centers, and specialised teams tasked with safeguarding infrastructure like regional oil pipelines. Administration officials maintain that previous ceasefires enabled insurgent groups to entrench themselves in remote territories and finance their operations through extortion and narcotics trafficking.

In retaliation, armed organizations have conducted numerous assaults against state forces. In Tolima province, an improvised missile attack made using gas canisters against an army compound killed four civilians, among them an infant. Law enforcement in the border municipality of Cucuta has faced repeated detonations from remote-controlled devices.

According to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, bombings and explosive incidents involving both government forces and militant networks climbed to 34 in the four weeks preceding mid-October, marking a nine percent rise compared to the equivalent timeframe the prior year. Despite the disarmament of more than 14,000 insurgents under the landmark 2016 accord, splinter factions continue to wage conflict over lucrative former rebel territories.