Drone Warfare: ELN's Deadly Attack in Colombia

In a significant escalation of violence, rebels in northeastern Colombia deployed a drone to attack a military patrol, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers and injuries to eight others, according to the military.

The National Liberation Army (ELN), a long-standing rebel group comprising roughly six thousand fighters, has been identified as the perpetrator of the attack, which took place on Sunday near El Carmen in the Catatumbo region, as claimed by military sources.

Rebel factions in Colombia are increasingly resorting to drone technology in their conflicts, both against the military and rival groups, in a battle for dominance over rural territories. These groups typically modify commercial drones with explosives to carry out their attacks.

According to Colombia's Defense Ministry, rebel groups initiated 115 drone attacks last year. The recent incident is among the deadliest recorded.

The Colombian government continues to struggle with managing violence in regions previously governed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which demobilized after a 2016 peace agreement.

Now, various smaller rebel factions and drug cartels vie for control over these territories, engaging in illicit activities such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.

In a related development, the Colombian government halted peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army in January, following a series of violent incidents in the Catatumbo region, which left at least 80 dead and forced 50,000 to flee their homes.

(With inputs from agencies.)