Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
How Colombia is losing the war on drones
Colombia is facing a sharp rise in drone attacks by armed groups, with the technology increasingly used against military bases and police stations. The attacks are causing growing military casualties, while the country’s defences have struggled to keep pace with advances such as kamikaze and fibre-optic drones.
The Santa Rosa del Sur attack, attributed to the ELN, killed at least three soldiers and left 47 others wounded. Since August, at least 12 members of the armed forces have died from explosives dropped by drones, compared with eight in the previous seven months; a conflict research group counted 351 drone attacks by 2 November, one every 21 hours. Attacks and casualties are concentrated in regions including Catatumbo and Cauca, and civilians have also been killed.
In short
- Drone attacks in Colombia have increased sharply.
- At least 12 security personnel have died since August.
- Armed groups’ drone technology is outpacing state defences.