1 soldier killed during clashes with Carlos Patino rebels in Colombia

The National Army of Colombia has strongly condemned the killing of professional soldier Idel José Torres Herrera, who died during combat operations in the rural area of El Tambo, Cauca department.

According to the official Army statement, troops from the Rapid Deployment Force No. 4, under the Third Division, clashed with members of the Carlos Patiño structure. During the fighting, Soldier Torres Herrera was killed. After his death, his body was removed from the scene by the armed group and has not yet been recovered or returned to his family.

The Army described the removal of the body as an aggravation of the family’s pain and a violation of the soldier’s right to a dignified farewell. It also stated that the action infringes International Humanitarian Law and hinders urgent investigative procedures and the collection of evidence by the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office.

In its statement, the Army demanded respect for the memory of the fallen soldier, his family, and the norms of International Humanitarian Law. It referred to Torres Herrera as a hero and closed with the institution’s traditional mottos of “Patria, Honor, Lealtad” (Homeland, Honor, Loyalty).

The post was published on the official Army account (@COL_EJERCITO) on Monday, 28 September 2026. No further official details on the exact circumstances of the combat or the recovery of the body were immediately available.