Three minors killed in Colombia armed group crackdown

What the report says

Colombian authorities said three minors were among 10 people killed in a military air strike on suspected cocaine-trafficking rebels in the southern Guaviare department on August 27. The attack was reported by Al Jazeera as the deadliest military operation since President Abelardo de la Espriella took office earlier this month, and it formed part of a broader crackdown on armed groups.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, the dead were two 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old. Officials said the victims were linked to a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla movement, which rejected the 2016 peace agreement. De la Espriella, who has taken a hard-line approach to armed groups, said on social media that fighters who recruit minors and use them as combatants or human shields should be held accountable. The Defence Ministry said 24 suspected rebels have been killed in operations since he became president.

The report also placed the strike in the context of renewed concern over child recruitment in Colombia. A Human Rights Watch report published last week said armed groups have recruited at least 1,500 children since 2021, with 625 cases in 2024. The watchdog said social media platforms have become important tools for recruitment, including through content aimed at children and teenagers. Meta and TikTok told HRW they prohibit violent recruiting content and had removed accounts identified by the group.