A Colombian Army non-commissioned officer was killed and four soldiers were wounded in an attack using drones carrying explosives in a rural part of El Carmen, Norte de Santander, the military said.
The officer was identified as Second Sergeant Yuver Antonio Gutierrez Torres, a member of Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 10. According to the Army, the unit was conducting operations intended to protect the local population when the explosive-equipped devices struck.
The four wounded soldiers were evacuated with assistance from the Colombian Aerospace Force and taken to medical facilities for specialist treatment. The initial account did not describe the severity of their injuries or identify them.
No armed organization had been confirmed as responsible at the time of reporting. That absence of attribution is significant in a region where several groups operate: the occurrence of the attack in Norte de Santander does not by itself establish who launched the drones.
The Army said it would submit complaints to the relevant authorities over the use of methods and means of warfare that it said could violate international humanitarian law. It also assigned an interdisciplinary team to support the families of the affected soldiers and offered condolences to Gutierrez Torres's relatives and colleagues. Whether a legal violation occurred would require assessment beyond the military's initial statement.
Explosive drones have become a recurring threat to security forces in Colombia, particularly in the Catatumbo region. Intelligence data cited in the report recorded at least 185 incidents involving drones carrying explosives between April 26, 2024, and March 28, 2025. Those incidents injured 31 civilians and 19 members of the security forces and killed a minor and two uniformed personnel, according to the cited record.
The recorded cases extended across Guaviare, Caqueta, Narino, Cauca, Huila, Tolima, Caldas and Norte de Santander. Within Catatumbo, reported incidents were concentrated in Tibu and El Tarra, with others in Sardinata and Teorama. The report linked the wider pattern mainly to FARC dissident factions and, secondarily, the National Liberation Army, or ELN. That historical assessment does not identify the perpetrator in El Carmen.
The verified account of the August 14 attack is consequently narrower: one named soldier died, four others were taken for treatment, and the Army said explosive-bearing drones were used. Investigators had not announced who carried out the strike, how many devices were involved or where they were launched. Those unanswered questions remain central to establishing responsibility. Aerospace Force support was used for the medical evacuation, and the Army said the unit had been conducting operations in the area when it was attacked.
