Drones reshape war in Colombia as deaths and injuries mount
Colombia’s decades‑old conflict has entered a new phase with the widespread use of armed drones. From 2023 to 2025, drone attacks rose from a single incident to hundreds, targeting civilians, health workers, police, and military bases. Armed groups, notably the Farc and ELN, have adapted commercial…
In the early hours of a Tuesday night in southern Cauca, a child’s football match was shattered by a drone that dropped a grenade, killing a 10‑year‑old boy and injuring dozens of villagers. This incident marked the first recorded use of a weaponised drone in Colombia and foreshadowed a rapid escalation that would see drones become a central weapon for armed groups across the country.
From a Single Incident to a Nationwide Threat
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) and Colombia’s Ministry of Defence, drone attacks increased from one in 2023 to 38 in 2024 and 149 in 2025. The Ministry’s figures are even higher, reporting 61 attacks in 2024 and 333 in 2025. These numbers illustrate a clear trend: armed groups are now routinely using drones to strike hospitals, police stations, military bases, and even private homes.
In February 2025 a drone struck a Médecins Sans Frontières field hospital in Cauca, injuring several health workers. In August the same year an attack downed a police helicopter in Antioquia, killing eight officers. The pattern continued with attacks on the mayor’s house in Calamar, a military base in December, and a mortar‑shell strike on a home in Segovia in February 2026. More recently, a drone packed with explosives was discovered near Bogotá’s international airport and an adjacent military base.
Who Is Using Drones and Why?
Initially the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) dissident factions were the first to adopt drone technology, followed quickly by the National Liberation Army (ELN). These groups modify inexpensive commercial drones—often costing only a few hundred dollars from Chinese suppliers—into “kamikaze” weapons that carry explosives or mortar shells. By 2025, almost all major armed groups were believed to be operating militarised drones.
Experts link the rapid spread of drone warfare in Colombia to the global conflict in Ukraine, where drones have become a staple of both state and non‑state actors. The circulation of tactics, technical knowledge, and supply chains, combined with Colombia’s transnational criminal ties to Mexican and Balkan cartels, has made advanced drone technology more accessible.
Impact on Civilians and the Wider Conflict
While many attacks target combatants, civilians have increasingly become collateral damage or even deliberate targets. The 2024 grenade attack on a football field, the 2025 hospital strike, and the 2026 mortar shell on a family home illustrate the human cost. Indigenous leaders in Putumayo report that drones are used not only to attack but to intimidate residents, hovering over villages to assert control.
In December 2025 ACLED recorded at least four attacks on police stations in Cauca and a military base in Cesar, injuring civilians caught in the crossfire. The sound of drones buzzing over communities has become a new source of terror, with some reports suggesting that children are being recruited to operate them.
Government Response and the Challenge of Counter‑Drone Measures
President Gustavo Petro and the Colombian military have announced a multibillion‑peso anti‑drone shield, tightened import restrictions, and created specialised units to detect and neutralise aerial threats. However, the fragmented nature of the battlefield and the rapid adaptation of armed groups—some already possessing anti‑drone technology—make comprehensive coverage difficult. Army commander Maj Gen Luis Emilio Cardozo noted the logistical challenge of equipping 3,000 platoons nationwide with anti‑drone systems.
Despite these efforts, the balance of power appears to be shifting faster than institutions can respond. Armed groups’ use of first‑person‑view (FPV) drones to strike moving targets, such as a navy patrol boat in July, demonstrates a worrying escalation in precision and capability.
What Happens Next?
As drones reshape Colombia’s conflict from above, the government faces a dual challenge: preventing further civilian casualties while countering an increasingly sophisticated aerial threat. The international community’s role, through intelligence sharing and technology transfer restrictions, may prove crucial in tipping the scales. For now, Colombian communities remain on high alert, with the threat of drone strikes looming over schools, hospitals, and homes alike.
Why it matters
The rise of drone warfare in Colombia signals a dangerous shift in the country’s long‑standing conflict, exposing civilians to new forms of violence and challenging state security forces’ ability to protect communities.
Key points
- Drone attacks in Colombia surged from 1 in 2023 to 333 in 2025.
- Armed groups modify cheap commercial drones into weaponised platforms.
- Civilians, health workers, and police are increasingly targeted or caught in crossfire.
- The Colombian government has launched anti‑drone measures but faces logistical hurdles.
- The conflict’s escalation mirrors tactics seen in Ukraine, aided by transnational criminal links.
Frequently asked questions
What types of drones are used in Colombia’s conflict?
Armed groups typically modify off‑the‑shelf commercial drones, often costing a few hundred dollars, to carry explosives or mortar shells, creating kamikaze or FPV‑guided weapons.
How has the government responded to the drone threat?
The government has introduced a multibillion‑peso anti‑drone shield, tightened import restrictions, and established specialised military units to detect and neutralise drones, though logistical challenges remain.
