Drone attack on Colombian army base kills three soldiers and wounds 16

What the report says

A drone attack on a Colombian army base in Santa Rosa del Sur killed three soldiers and wounded at least 16, according to the country’s armed forces, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. The base is in northern Colombia, in a town near the San Lucas mountain range in an area known for gold mining and long-running armed group activity.

The article said authorities had not identified who carried out the strike. Social media video reportedly showed smoke rising after three explosions, with soldiers taking shelter in sandbag bunkers. President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack on X and said those responsible would not be able to escape justice.

Al Jazeera said the strike comes amid a broader rise in violence across rural Colombia since de la Espriella, a conservative, took office in August. His government has ended peace talks with rebel groups and increased military pressure, while armed groups continue to fight over territory and profit from illegal economies. The report also noted recent attacks on security forces elsewhere in the country, including a separate strike in Tolima that killed civilians. As background, Colombia’s 2016 peace deal with the FARC reduced the size of the insurgency, but smaller armed groups have remained active in several regions.