Soldier killed in an insurgent drone attack on an army base, Colombia

A professional soldier of the Colombian Army was killed and another wounded in a drone attack carried out by members of a FARC dissident group in a rural area of Neiva, capital of the Huila department, authorities reported late Friday, October 2, 2026.

The attack targeted troops from the 9th Field Artillery Battalion “Tenerife” who were deployed in the Aipecito district (also referred to as the vereda Aipecito) conducting security operations to protect the civilian population. Attackers used drones fitted with improvised explosive devices.

Professional Soldier Samuel Pinzón Barliza Ipuana died from the severity of his injuries. A second soldier sustained shrapnel wounds and remains under medical care in a facility in Neiva. Both were evacuated after the assault.

The Colombian Military Forces and the Ninth Brigade attributed the attack to the Ismael Ruiz structure, part of the Central Bloc “Isaías Pardo” of the Mordisco faction (dissidents of the former FARC under the leadership of alias Iván Mordisco). In an official statement on their X account, the Military Forces rejected the action as a “terrorist act” that constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights and an infringement of international humanitarian law. They expressed solidarity with the soldier’s family and loved ones, adding the hashtag #HonorYGloriaPorSiempre.

Local officials, including Neiva’s Government Secretary José Ferney Ducuara, confirmed the use of a “swarm of drones” against troops operating in depth for territorial control. This marks the third such attack against Army units in Huila in less than a month, following incidents on September 12 in La Plata and September 15 in the same Aipecito area.

The Army announced it would strengthen military operations in the zone to pursue those responsible and continue providing security to local communities. The incident highlights the growing use of weaponized commercial drones by illegal armed groups in Colombia, a tactic that has escalated in recent years against security forces.