Colombia: Bombing ordered by de la Espriella kills 20 guerrillas in the Amazon, deadliest in years

An airstrike ordered by Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella killed 20 FARC guerrillas in the Amazon on Monday, in the deadliest operation of its kind in recent years. The president reported that five were captured and two minors were rescued in the department of Guaviare.

Offensive against Iván Mordisco's group

Early Monday morning, Colombian forces bombed rebels aligned with Iván Mordisco, the country's most wanted insurgent and commander-in-chief of the Central General Staff (EMC), the dissident faction comprising thousands of guerrillas who did not accept the 2016 peace agreement. De la Espriella praised the operation in a video posted on X: "We killed 20 narcoterrorists, captured five … and rescued two minors," he said.

"In addition, our security forces have seized 26 rifles, four machine guns, three pistols, 10 sets of field gear, and 13 multipurpose vests. The amount of ammunition is still being tallied," the president added. "This blow affects the organization's military, logistical and financial capabilities and weakens its control over drug trafficking corridors."

A military source explained to AFP that this is the new government's third airstrike and the most extensive since the administration of Juan Manuel Santos. The right-wing president aims to curb the activities of armed groups that finance themselves through drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion, for which he has the support of the United States and Israel. In its first weeks in office, his administration has already killed at least 38 guerrillas.

"We're coming for you, Mordisco"

Amid a wave of violence, the last two presidents attempted to hunt down Mordisco, who was hiding somewhere in the jungle and had been repeatedly declared dead. "We're coming for you, Mordisco… I'm going to make you pay for all the harm you've done to Colombia," warned de la Espriella.

In mid-August, Bogotá authorized joint operations with the United States against the insurgents, and the country has joined the Shield of the Americas, the coalition led by Donald Trump against drug trafficking.

Following the latest blow, Defense Minister Jorge Mora wrote on X: "'Iván Mordisco,' and those who are part of his criminal networks must understand this: the state will give them no respite."

"Those who take up arms against Colombians will face demobilization, and those who do not submit will face the full force of the law through decisive action by security forces," he added.

A military source told AFP that units will be deployed to the scene on Tuesday to recover the bodies.