Circuit Wire — a daily news update from the Circuit.
Drones carrying explosives hit an army base in Santa Rosa del Sur, northern Colombia, on Saturday, killing three soldiers and wounding at least 16, Al Jazeera reported, citing a military statement.
Footage shared on social media showed smoke rising from the base after three explosions, with soldiers taking cover in sandbag shelters. Anadolu Agency placed the base in the municipality of Santa Rosa, in southern Bolívar department. It said the army's First Division called the incident a "terror attack" using drones modified to carry explosives, and that eight of the wounded are in serious condition.
No group has been named as responsible. The area sits in the foothills of the San Lucas mountain range and is rich in gold mines. It has long been contested by the Gulf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and smaller groups led by former FARC members. The army described the attack as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
President Abelardo de la Espriella wrote on X that those behind the attack "will have nowhere to hide."
Violence has risen in rural Colombia since de la Espriella, a conservative, took office in August. He cancelled peace talks with rebel groups and has ordered more airstrikes, more troops in some cities, and joint task forces to protect strategic assets, including a pipeline running from the Caribbean coast to central Colombia. His government says armed groups used ceasefires granted by the previous administration to tighten their hold on rural areas, where they tax local businesses and profit from the drug trade.
Last week, missiles made from gas canisters hit a military base in Tolima province, killing four civilians, including a two-month-old baby. Police in the border city of Cúcuta have been attacked several times with remotely activated bombs.
The monitoring group ACLED counted 34 bomb or explosive attacks by state forces and illegal armed groups in the four weeks to October 16. That is 9 percent above the same four-week average last year.
The 2016 peace deal with the FARC led to the demobilization of more than 14,000 fighters. Smaller groups have since fought over the former rebel territory.
Want a weekly roundup of the major stories shaping the security industry? The On The Circuit newsletter is read by more than 12,000 protection professionals.
Spotted something we should cover? Send tips and feedback via circuit-magazine.com.