Armed groups deploy drones to launch projectiles in Colombian conflict
Illegal armed groups in Colombia have increased drone attacks since 2024, using unmanned aircraft to launch projectiles against security forces and rival groups, particularly in the Cauca and Norte de Santander departments. The Catatumbo region has seen escalating violence between the ELN guerrilla and the FARC breakaway Frente 33 using this method.
What happened
Illegal armed groups in Colombia have multiplied drone attacks since 2024, using unmanned aircraft to launch projectiles against security forces and rival groups.
In the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander, a video from March 2025 captured a mortar shell dropped from a drone exploding on the ground, with a person fleeing the blast zone.
The Catatumbo, a border region with Venezuela known for coca cultivation, has seen escalating violence between the ELN guerrilla and Frente 33, a breakaway faction of the FARC, since January.
Reported impact
The drone attacks have worsened the already fragile human rights situation in the Cauca and Norte de Santander departments.
As of late 2024, armed groups had presence in 71% of Colombian municipalities, according to the Colombian Ombudsman's Office.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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