Drone Attacks by Armed Groups Rise in Colombia

Drone strikes by armed groups in Colombia have increased sharply since 2023, according to data from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. The organization recorded one attack in 2023, 38 in 2024 and 149 in 2025. Colombia's ministry of defence reported a steeper rise, with zero attacks in 2023, 61 in 2024 and 333 in 2025.

A 10-year-old boy was killed and 12 other civilians injured when a drone dropped a grenade during a football match in southern Cauca in 2024. In February 2026, a drone dropped a mortar shell on a house in the mining town of Segovia, killing a mother and her two sons.

In February 2025, a drone struck near a temporary Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Cauca, injuring several health workers. Between 2024 and 2025, ACLED recorded a rise in attacks affecting civilians, with at least five civilians injured during December 2025 strikes on police stations and a military base.

The Colombian government has unveiled a multibillion anti-drone shield, tightened restrictions on drone imports and created specialised military units. Army commander Maj Gen Luis Emilio Cardozo said equipping all personnel with anti-drone systems is complicated because the national army has 3,000 platoons deployed nationwide.

President Gustavo Petro told troops that narco-traffickers have the aerial advantage. Officials have acknowledged the difficulty of countering drone strikes across a fragmented battlefield.