(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026 | Drone Strikes News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/18/drone-attacks-by-colombian-armed-groups-more-than-double-in-early-2026)                                            (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/9/18/drone-attacks-by-colombian-armed-groups-more-than-double-in-early-2026)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/getty_6aac8e51b6-1789693521.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/09/getty_6aac8e51b6-1789693521.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.e3bc53a0.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~41c72a2c.3f309873.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~06be7c11.0625e98d.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/pages/article-page~493df0b3.accd71c7.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (drone-attacks-by-colombian-armed-groups-more-than-double-in-early-2026@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/drone-strikes/) Drone Strikes   Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026 Civilians are caught in the crossfire of drone attacks between armed groups and government forces.   Listen   Listen (2 mins)       Save       Share Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026 on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fl5pqda) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Drone%20attacks%20by%20Colombian%20armed%20groups%20more%20than%20double%20in%20early%202026&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fl5pqda) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fl5pqda) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/l5pqda)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (CUCUTA, COLOMBIA - JANUARY 3: A member of the Colombian Police (left) holds a drone jammer at the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge on the Colombia-Venezuela border after the confirmation of Nicolas Maduro's capture this early morning in Caracas, on January 3, 2026 in Cucuta, Colombia. President Donald Trump announced that Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in the early morning in Caracas after a military operation led by the Delta Force, the elite special missions unit of the U.S. military. (Photo by Jair F. Coll/Getty Images))   A Colombian police officer, left, holds a drone jammer [File: Jair F Coll/Getty Images]   By  AFP   Published On 18 Sep 2026 18 Sep 2026    Drone attacks by armed groups in Colombia surged 146 percent in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2025, according to the country’s Ombudsman’s Office. The attacks killed 21 people and wounded 145 others, including children. Civilians accounted for nearly a third of those killed or wounded, the office said on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/10/peru-joins-us-led-shield-of-the-americas-security-alliance) Peru joins US-led ‘Shield of the Americas’ security alliance  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/11/handcuffed-and-blindfolded-is-the-us-targeting-ecuadorian-fishermen) ‘Handcuffed and blindfolded’: Is the US targeting Ecuadorian fishermen?  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/16/us-removes-venezuela-from-list-of-drug-transit-production-countries) US removes Venezuela from drug list, Trump says   end of list  Ombudsman Iris Marin warned that the drones inflict fear well beyond the immediate casualties, with their recurring buzz terrorising communities in conflict-affected areas. Drones are part of the escalating war between armed groups and government forces, leaving civilians caught in between. Homes, educational institutions, petrol stations and infrastructure were also hit. Marin said that in some territories, fear of overflights and attacks has also triggered displacements, restrictions on mobility, and difficulties in working the fields, accessing health centres or carrying out daily activities. It is common in the country for armed groups to demonstrate their strength using lethal, makeshift drones rigged with explosives. The Ombudsman said the attacks have “restricted access for humanitarian missions and hindered processes of return and permanence in the territories”. Analysts (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2026/5/22/i-always-hear-them-before-i-see-them-drones-strike-fear-in-colombia) have said armed groups use the aerial devices for two main purposes: attacks and surveillance. They target and launch attacks on rival groups as well as (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/5/colombian-government-reports-three-killed-in-rebel-attack-on-military-post) state forces , and survey illegal coca fields. Last month, a Human Rights Watch report said (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/31/three-minors-killed-in-colombia-armed-group-crackdown) children are being trained in drone warfare. The watchdog also said that armed groups are recruiting children through social media platforms like Meta and TikTok. Advertisement    Drones are used by both sides  The flight of unmanned aircraft over Colombia’s rugged terrain makes neutralising them difficult. In January 2026, the Colombian government announced a $1.68bn project to develop an anti-drone shield. Colombia’s right-wing president, Abelardo de la Espriella, governs from a military stronghold in Barranquilla and is waging a frontal offensive against armed groups with support from the United States. Recent operations by Colombian troops have utilised US-made drones, a military source told AFP. In recent months, Colombian military forces have also used grenade-launching drones to counter armed fighters.             aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss     (https://bsky.app/profile/aljazeera.com) bluesky     (https://www.tiktok.com/@aljazeeraenglish) tiktok-colored-outline                  (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network