Colombian soldiers set on fire during anti-narcotics operation

Two Colombian soldiers sustained severe burns after being doused with gasoline and set on fire during an anti-drug operation in the country's southeast, the Colombian army reported.

The attack, which occurred amid efforts to dismantle a cocaine production facility, highlights the growing dangers faced by security forces in remote regions controlled by criminal and guerrilla factions, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to an official military statement, the incident took place in a rural area of the northern Putumayo department, near the border with Ecuador, during an operation targeting a clandestine cocaine laboratory. As troops carried out the mission, a riot broke out, during which a “group of civilians attacked the uniformed officers with fire to impede the procedure.”

One officer and one soldier were seriously injured in the assault and are currently receiving treatment in a military hospital.

Colombia is facing its worst security crisis in over a decade, as various armed groups—including guerrilla dissidents and drug trafficking organizations—continue to profit from narcotics, illegal mining, and extortion. Attacks on military personnel by civilians, often under pressure or manipulation by criminal groups, have become more frequent, particularly in territories where the state’s presence is limited.

In response to the incident, the Colombian army pledged action against the Comandos de Frontera (Border Command), a dissident faction that refused to abide by the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the now-defunct FARC rebel group. The army accused the group of orchestrating the violent attack and “coercing” civilians in the area to participate.

Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a strong statement on social media, condemning the perpetrators:

"They are criminals and narcos who attempted to murder our soldiers. They are neither peasants nor communities claiming their rights."

Sánchez also posted a video showing one of the victims being airlifted by helicopter to receive emergency medical care.

𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒, 𝐄𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐙Ó𝐍, 𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐎

Condenamos y repudiamos el demencial intento de quemar vivos a dos de nuestros militares del @COL_EJERCITO, quienes se encontraban… pic.twitter.com/aas2Xb2o27

— Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez S. Orgullosamente Colombiano (@PedroSanchezCol) September 4, 2025

The Comandos de Frontera, which operates across Colombia and Ecuador, is currently engaged in peace negotiations with the government of President Gustavo Petro. However, progress has been slow and overshadowed by continued acts of violence. In February, Colombian prosecutors arrested the group’s leader, Andrés Rojas, also known as Arana, during a meeting with government representatives. He is facing charges related to cocaine shipments to the United States, and authorities are seeking his extradition.

The group has also been implicated in a deadly attack in May that left 11 Ecuadorian soldiers dead during a crackdown on illegal mining operations.

Violence against security forces has escalated across the region. In July, a military dog in Colombia was injured after detecting a bomb planted by guerrilla fighters. The explosive device detonated during an operation, and the Colombian army attributed the attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN)—a guerrilla group with approximately 6,000 fighters that remains active in several regions.

Peace talks with the ELN, which is designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization, were suspended in January following a series of deadly raids near the Venezuelan border, for which the group was blamed.

Adding to the grim tally, a bomb strapped to a donkey exploded in the same region just days earlier, killing one soldier and injuring two others.

By Vafa Guliyeva