The Government of Colombia confirmed this Tuesday that a minor died in the bombing carried out by the Army last Saturday against positions of the dissidence of Front 33 in the department of Norte de Santander, in the conflictive area of Catatumbo.
The Minister of Defense, Jorge Eduardo Mora, specified that among the four fatalities is a 16-year-old girl and denounced the forced recruitment of minors, a "practice that exposes them to hostilities according to International Humanitarian Law."
Mora emphasized that this offensive, the fourth of its kind since Abelardo de la Espriella took office as President, "was directed against previously identified and delineated military targets" and was executed applying all "measures to protect the civilian population."
The Defense Minister stressed that the purpose of the operation is to safeguard the rural communities of the municipality of Tibú against the actions of the dissidence of Front 33 and the National Liberation Army (ELN), whose confrontation has plunged the region into a serious humanitarian crisis since January 2025.
"These groups have destroyed numerous homes through attacks with drones loaded with explosives and have sown minefields that persist in the region and put the civilian population at risk," Mora warned.
According to the official balance, the operation allowed the seizure of dozens of firearms and "abundant" ammunition, as well as the location of three camps with areas prepared for combat, handling explosives, and even a bunker. Additionally, three soldiers were injured during the deployment.
"The military forces reaffirm their commitment to the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order; the State will continue to employ all its legitimate capacities within the Constitution, the law, and International Humanitarian Law to protect the Colombian people," the minister emphasized.
Fourth bombing under the mandate of Abelardo de la Espriella
The attack this Saturday has been the second bombing by the Army in Catatumbo since De la Espriella assumed the Presidency, but the first specifically directed against Front 33, a faction of the General Staff of the Blocks and Fronts (EMBF) of the dissidence of the former FARC under the command of Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias 'Calarcá'.
The first bombing took place on August 10 against positions of the ELN guerrilla, while the other two air operations were carried out in the department of Guaviare: one against the EMBF of 'Calarcá' and another against the rival dissidence of the Central General Staff (EMC), led by Néstor Vera Fernández, alias 'Iván Mordisco'. Together, these three actions left more than 40 dead, including six minors.