Colombia Kills 20 Armed Group Members in Government Airstrikes

Twenty members of armed groups were killed in Colombian government airstrikes ordered against territories under gang control, according to President Ávila de la Espriella, who announced the operation on Monday.

In a video posted to X, de la Espriella stated: “We killed 20 drug terrorists, arrested five… and rescued two minors.”

The airstrikes struck at dawn on Monday in the Guaviare region of southern Colombia. They targeted a faction that split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by Iván Mordisco — one of Colombia’s most wanted individuals.

Deadliest Airstrikes Since New Presidency

These operations represent the most lethal aerial campaign launched since Ávila de la Espriella assumed the presidency on 7 August. The right-wing, hardline leader pledged an uncompromising campaign against criminal organizations that finance their activities through drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining.

Third Wave Under New Administration

This marks the third wave of airstrikes conducted by the new administration. According to a military source cited by Agence France-Presse, it is the deadliest such wave since the presidency of Juan Manuel Santos (2010–2018).

The first two waves resulted in the deaths of four minors, two aged 15 and two aged 16, as confirmed by a source from Colombia’s Forensic Medical Institute speaking to Agence France-Presse on Monday. Those strikes occurred in the Amazon region and along the Venezuelan border, where armed groups compete for control over revenues from drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion.

It remains unclear whether any minors were among the 20 killed in the third wave.

Direct Message to Mordisco

De la Espriella addressed Mordisco directly, saying: “We are hunting you, Mordisco… I will make you pay for all the harm you have inflicted on Colombia.” He also affirmed his intention to strengthen cooperation with the United States and Israel in combating organized crime.