Photo via Al Jazeera

Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026

Read the original at Al Jazeera ↗
Cite

AFP. (2026, September 18). Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/18/drone-attacks-by-colombian-armed-groups-more-than-double-in-early-2026?traffic_source=rss

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Al Jazeera · collected 2026-09-18 · by AFP

Quick Summary

In the first five months of 2026, drone attacks in Colombia increased by 146% compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Ombudsman’s Office. These attacks resulted in 21 deaths and 145 injuries, including many civilians. The rising use of drones has not only caused direct harm but also instilled fear among communities, affecting daily life and hindering humanitarian efforts. Iris Marin, Colombia's Ombudsman, highlighted that armed groups are using both offensive and surveillance drones to target rivals and state forces, often recruiting children for these operations through social media platforms.
Written by AI on 2026-09-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In early 2026, drone attacks by armed groups in Colombia surged by 146 percent compared to the same period in 2025, according to the country’s Ombudsman's Office. The attacks killed 21 people and wounded 145 others, including children, with nearly a third of casualties being civilians. Iris Marin, the ombudsman, warned that these drone strikes instill fear beyond just immediate victims, terrorizing communities affected by conflict due to recurring buzzes in the air.

Drones are becoming a significant part of the escalating war between armed groups and government forces, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire. Targets have included homes, educational institutions, petrol stations, and critical infrastructure. The constant threat has caused fear leading to internal displacements and restricting daily activities like working fields or accessing health centers.

Written for “Colombian Armed Groups Drone Attacks” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Colombian Armed Groups Drone Attacks
World · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
1 of 18 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
60/100
Al Jazeera's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
World
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-18 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Al Jazeera · 4688 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

Who wrote this

AFP
888 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 But the rugged terrain would prove a stern test for some competitors.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Laden with eggs, robots race up sacred Chinese mountain
🔮 We have stated that, if Iran's demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, adding that the "exchange of messages is still ongoing" via mediators.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Iran says considering two-day plan to reopen Hormuz
🔮 Maybe throw little dance moves like Steph in once in a while, but I’m gonna just keep trying to find my joy
🔮 Republicans in the U.S. made a final push on Sunday (November 1, 2026) to prevent a predicted thumping in U.S. midterm elections where Democrats are gunning to win control of Congress and impose a first political check on President Donald Trump's pursuit of power.
🔮 Publisher Faber said it could no longer distribute Ms. Rooney's books in the United Kingdom because it could not transfer U.K. earnings to the author after she announced plans to donate those proceeds to Palestine Action, which is banned in Britain.
🔮 The military operation along the border may represent the latest shift in Venezuelan policy since the U.S. ouster of Nicolas Maduro in January.
🔮 U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume this month, having been effectively frozen since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Cyber attacks hit Russia, Ukraine after truce ends
🔮 Throughout the eight-month war Mr. Trump has pursued dual tracks with Tehran: a campaign of airstrikes and other attacks, while seeking to reach a deal that would jumpstart peace talks and fully open the Strait of Hormuz to vital oil and gas traffic.
🔮 Ms. Iotova is projected to receive between 50.7% and 52.5% of the vote, compared to between 43.4% and 44% for Mr. Gyurov, according to three different exit polls.
2026-11-01 · assertive framing · Bulgarian President wins runoff election: exit polls
🔮 The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee said on Sunday (November 1, 2026) that an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign funding in the country’s recent vote would not call into question its result, noting that so far “suspicions remain suspicions”.
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by AFP
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 888 articles by AFP →

Topics

3Peru Colombia Colombian Ombudsman’s Office Shield of the Americas

Subjects

Colombia GPE · 3× Colombian NORP · 3× 3Peru GPE · 1× Ecuadorian NORP · 1× Iris Marin PERSON · 1× Marin PERSON · 1× Ombudsman’s Office ORG · 1× Shield of the Americas ORG · 1× Trump PERSON · 1× Venezuela GPE · 1×

Narrative

Recommended Stories list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Peru joins US-led ‘Shield of the Americas’ security alliance - list 2 of 3‘Handcuffed and blindfolded’: Is the US targeting Ecuadorian fishermen? - list 3 of 3US removes Venezuela from drug list, Trump says Ombudsman Iris Marin warned that the drones inflict fear well beyond the immediate casualties, with their recurring buzz terrorising communities in conflict-affected areas.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-18
2026-09-18 · Al Jazeera
Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026 · assertive framing

Claims (18 extracted, 1 hedged)

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. uncertain
attacks → surge → Office
The attacks killed 21 people and wounded 145 others, including children. asserted
attacks → kill → children
Civilians accounted for nearly a third of those killed or wounded, the office said on Thursday. asserted
office → account → Thursday
Recommended Stories list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Peru joins US-led ‘Shield of the Americas’ security alliance - list 2 of 3‘Handcuffed and blindfolded’: Is the US targeting Ecuadorian fishermen? - list 3 of 3US removes Venezuela from drug list, Trump says Ombudsman Iris Marin warned that the drones inflict fear well beyond the immediate casualties, with their recurring buzz terrorising communities in conflict-affected areas. asserted
buzz → join → areas
Drones are part of the escalating war between armed groups and government forces, leaving civilians caught in between. asserted
Drones → escalate → civilians
Homes, educational institutions, petrol stations and infrastructure were also hit. asserted
Homes → 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. asserted
fear → say → activities
It is common in the country for armed groups to demonstrate their strength using lethal, makeshift drones rigged with explosives. asserted
groups → demonstrate → explosives
The Ombudsman said the attacks have “restricted access for humanitarian missions and hindered processes of return and permanence in the territories”. asserted
attacks → say → territories
Analysts have said armed groups use the aerial devices for two main purposes: attacks and surveillance. asserted
groups → say → purposes
They target and launch attacks on rival groups as well as state forces, and survey illegal coca fields. asserted
They → target → fields
Last month, a Human Rights Watch report said children are being trained in drone warfare. asserted
children → say → warfare
The watchdog also said that armed groups are recruiting children through social media platforms like Meta and TikTok. asserted
groups → say → Meta
Drones are used by both sides The flight of unmanned aircraft over Colombia’s rugged terrain makes neutralising them difficult. asserted
neutralising → use → them
In January 2026, the Colombian government announced a $1.68bn project to develop an anti-drone shield. asserted
government → announce → 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. asserted
president → govern → States
Recent operations by Colombian troops have utilised US-made drones, a military source told AFP. asserted
source → utilise → AFP
In recent months, Colombian military forces have also used grenade-launching drones to counter armed fighters. asserted
forces → use → fighters
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support