Three Minors Killed in Colombian Air Strike on Rebel Camp
Three teenagers are among ten dead in a military bombing targeting dissident FARC rebels in southern Colombia, amid a rising tide of child recruitment.
A military air strike in southern Colombia has left ten people dead, including three teenagers, according to forensic officials. The bombing is part of a major offensive by the country’s newly inaugurated president against active rebel factions.
The strike occurred on August 27 in the southern Guaviare department. It targeted a faction of dissidents who split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These rebels chose to reject the historic 2016 peace agreement. The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences identified the bodies. According to the Ministry of National Defence, two of the underage victims were 15, and the third was 16.
This operation is the deadliest since President Abelardo de la Espriella assumed office earlier this month. De la Espriella, a right-wing leader and close ally of US President Donald Trump, has promised to dismantle armed groups. He is moving quickly. On Monday, he announced that another bombing in the same department killed eight members of a FARC dissident group led by commander Ivan Mordisco. Officials do not know yet if any minors were killed in that second raid.
The president defended the military’s actions on social media, placing the blame entirely on the armed groups. “The bandits, who for decades have recruited minors to turn them into combatants or human shields, must pay for these crimes that violate International Humanitarian Law,” de la Espriella wrote on X. The defense ministry confirmed that 24 suspected rebels have been killed in operations since the president took office.
The tragedy highlights a growing crisis in the country. Rebel groups are stepping up their efforts to recruit children. A recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) shows that at least 1,500 children have been recruited by armed groups since 2021. The situation is escalating. The watchdog documented 625 cases of child recruitment in 2024 alone.
The tactics have changed. Armed groups no longer rely solely on physical coercion. They now use the internet. HRW reported that criminal and rebel groups use social media platforms to target vulnerable youths. Algorithms on platforms like TikTok and Meta have actively promoted content that encourages children to join these groups. Once recruited, children are forced into highly dangerous roles, including piloting drones rigged with explosives.
Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director for HRW, criticized the lack of safety for young Colombians. “Armed groups in Colombia are recruiting children with impunity,” Goebertus said. She added that state protection systems are failing, allowing social media to become a highly effective recruiting ground.
Meta and TikTok told HRW that they prohibit content promoting violence. They also stated they had removed the accounts identified by the organization.
The problem is deeply rooted. Colombia has struggled for decades with internal conflict. While the 2016 peace deal successfully demobilized thousands of FARC fighters, it did not end the violence. In regions like Guaviare, where the state’s presence is weak, dissident factions run lucrative cocaine-trafficking networks. They need soldiers to protect their territory, and children are often the easiest targets. For the families living in these conflict zones, the threat is constant, and the latest air strikes show that the cost of this ongoing war is still being paid by the young.
