Seven teenagers were killed this week during Colombian military airstrikes on an armed group linked to drug trafficking in the country’s southern Amazon region, the national ombudsman’s office confirmed on Saturday.
According to Ombudswoman Iris Marín, the minors—four girls and three boys—had been forcibly recruited by the rebel group. She said the deaths happened during an operation ordered by President Gustavo Petro, who is under growing pressure from the United States to take stronger action against cocaine-producing gangs.
Earlier in the week, Colombia’s military reported that the November 10 airstrikes killed 19 fighters from a breakaway faction of the former FARC guerrilla movement. The military also said it rescued three other minors from the group after the bombing.
In a separate strike near the Venezuelan border, the army said nine suspected rebels were killed in Arauca province.
These operations are part of Petro’s tougher crackdown on armed groups involved in drug trafficking. The shift follows criticism from Washington and recent US sanctions placed on Petro, his wife, his son, and a senior aide over alleged links to cartels—claims the US has not publicly backed with evidence.
Responding to the deaths of the minors, President Petro defended his decision, saying he ordered the operation because soldiers stationed nearby were at high risk of being ambushed.
“Every death is regrettable, especially the deaths of minors,” he wrote on X. “But I acted to save the lives of young soldiers.”
Petro has launched a national manhunt for rebel leader Iván Mordisco, offering large cash rewards for information. The government believes he heads one of the strongest criminal networks operating in the jungle and has compared him to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Local media also reported that authorities are investigating whether a top rebel commander, Antonio Medina, was killed in the latest strike. Medina is accused of fueling violent clashes between former FARC fighters and the ELN guerrilla group.
President Petro, a former guerrilla himself, had until recently favored negotiations with armed groups. But with elections approaching in 2026 and pressure mounting from the US, his government has increased its military operations.
