Colombian Military Strike Claims Three Minors Among Ten Rebels Killed in Escalated Crackdown

Rights organizations warn that armed groups are increasingly enlisting children through social media platforms.

Published On 31 Aug 202631 Aug 2026

A Colombian military air strike targeting drug-trafficking rebels in the southern Guaviare department last week resulted in the deaths of three minors, authorities confirmed, as part of an intensified campaign by President Abelardo de la Espriella against armed factions.

The August 27 attack marked the deadliest single military operation since de la Espriella assumed office earlier this month. According to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, ten individuals were killed in total, with the Ministry of National Defence identifying two victims as 15 years old and another as 16.

The deceased were reportedly affiliated with a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which rejected the 2016 peace agreement with the government.

President de la Espriella, a conservative leader aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, announced on Monday that a follow-up bombing in the same region had killed eight additional members of a FARC splinter group commanded by Ivan Mordisco. The status of any minors in that second operation remains unclear.

“These bandits, who for decades have recruited minors to serve as combatants or human shields, must face justice for crimes that violate International Humanitarian Law,” de la Espriella stated on X.

The Defense Ministry reported that 24 suspected rebels have been killed in military operations since the new administration began.

The escalating violence coincides with a resurgence in child recruitment by armed groups across Colombia, as detailed in a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. The organization found that at least 1,500 children have been enlisted by various factions since 2021, with 625 cases documented in 2024 alone.

According to HRW, both criminal networks and rebel organizations are exploiting social media to attract young recruits, assigning them increasingly perilous tasks such as deploying explosive-laden drones. The report also highlights how algorithms on platforms like Meta and TikTok may be inadvertently promoting content that encourages youth enlistment.

“Armed groups in Colombia are recruiting children with complete impunity,” said Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director. “Existing protection systems are failing, and social media has become a far more effective tool for recruitment.”

In response to the findings, representatives from Meta and TikTok told HRW that their platforms prohibit violent content and have removed accounts flagged by the watchdog organization.

Source link