Soldier killed in drone attack by ELN guerrilla group in Cauca, Colombia

A Colombian Army soldier has been killed following an explosive attack launched from an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) in the southwestern department of Cauca, military officials confirmed Sunday.

The attack targeted troops from the 4th Mountain Battalion of the 29th Brigade during routine military operations in the Altamira sector of the La Vega municipality. The Colombian Army's Third Division preliminary attributed the strike to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a prominent left-wing insurgent group operating in the region.

The casualty has been identified as professional soldier Luis David Arrieta Osorio, who was mortally wounded while serving the local communities of southern Cauca.

Military leadership strongly condemned the deployment of drone-dropped improvised explosives, describing it as a "terrorist action". In an official statement, the command denounced the tactic as a direct violation of International Humanitarian Law, emphasizing that the use of non-discriminate aerial weaponry poses a severe risk to both security forces and local civilian populations.

The military has deployed an interdisciplinary team to provide psychosocial support to Arrieta Osorio’s family. Meanwhile, troops from the 29th Brigade remain heavily deployed in the area to secure the territory, maintain an institutional presence, and neutralize further illegal armed operations in southern Cauca.