Media Citation
Drones reshape war in Colombia as deaths and injuries mount | The Guardian
Source: The Guardian | 18 May 2026
[...]Only one such attack was recorded in 2023, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a leading monitoring organisation. But that figure jumped to 38 in 2024 and 149 in 2025. Colombia’s ministry of defence reported an even steeper rise, recording no attacks in 2023, 61 in 2024 and 333 in 2025.
[...]By 2025, it is believed that almost all major armed groups were using militarised drones, with attacks spreading far beyond traditional conflict zones. “What is concerning is not only the very rapid escalation and frequency of their use, but also the geographical spread,” said Tiziano Breda, an ACLED senior analyst. He noted that drones were used in 12 municipalities in 2024 and 41 in 2025.
Most drone attacks have targeted police, army patrols and rival armed groups, data shows. In December 2025 alone, ACLED recorded at least four attacks on police stations in Cauca andon the military base in Cesar. Seven further attacks against police and military units were recorded in January 2026, all claimed by ELN and Farc fighters.
But their use has increasingly expanded beyond combatants. Between 2024 and 2025, ACLED also recorded a sharp rise in drone attacks affecting civilians[...]
