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‘I always hear them before I see them’: Drones strike fear in Colombia

Al Jazeera · · 1860 words · By Catherine Ellis
Colombian Internal Security Technological Escalation in Asymmetric Conflict Civilian Impact of Drone Warfare
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2026/5/22/i-always-hear-them-before-i-se…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Appeal to Pity 70% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 5
verified Verified By Reference 2
schedule Pending 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
cancel Disputed 1
info
“The country’s Ministry of Defence reported 8,395 weaponised drone attacks in 2025, 333 of which were "effective" in striking their target.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The Guardian report mentions the numbers 61 in 2024 and 333 in 2025, but it does not explicitly mention the total of 8,395 weaponised drone attacks. Other search results are irrelevant.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A Ministry of Defence or Defense (see spelling differences), also known as a Department of Defence or Defense, is the common name for a part of the government found in states where the government is d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_defence_ministe…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Operation Storm-333 (Russian: Шторм-333, Shtorm-333) was a military raid executed by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan on 27 December 1979. Special forces and airborne troops stormed the heavily fortifi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Storm-333
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Serranilla Bank (Spanish: Isla Serranilla, Banco Serranilla and Placer de la Serranilla) is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea. It is situated abou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serranilla_Bank
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“This marks a 445 percent increase over 2024, when 61 effective incidents were recorded.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The Guardian report confirms the numbers 61 (2024) and 333 (2025). The calculation of a 445% increase is derived from these figures, but no other independent source corroborates this specific statistic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Barbosa is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. Situated 39 km from Medellín's downtown, it is one of the municipalities of the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. The popula…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbosa,_Antioquia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Corozal (Spanish pronunciation: [koɾoˈsal]) is a town and municipality in the Sucre Department, northern Colombia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corozal,_Sucre
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trujillo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trujillo,_Valle_del_Cauca
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“In Tibu, for instance, a 12-year-old boy and his mother were killed in May 2025 when an explosive fell onto their home during fighting between armed groups.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Human Rights Watch mentions a 12-year-old boy in Tibú being taken by ELN, but does not mention a mother being killed by a drone-dropped explosive in May 2025. Wikipedia mentions Catatumbo clashes in Jan 2025 but not this specific incident.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 16 January 2025, National Liberation Army (ELN) militants launched several attacks against FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo region of Colombia, as part of the Catatumbo campaign. At least 103 peopl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Catatumbo_clashes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 Liga TDP season is the fourth-tier football league of Mexico. The tournament began on 4 September 2025 and will finish on 29 May 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_Liga_TDP_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mutiny is an upcoming action thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet and written by Lindsay Michel and J. P. Davis. It stars Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis and Jason Wong. Produced by Punch Pa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny_(2026_film)
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Last month, three soldiers were killed following a drone attack by an armed group in Narino, in the southwest of the country.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The article 'Uniformed Dead: The Scale of Colombia's Drone Threat' specifically mentions three soldiers killed by drone attacks in Ipiales (Nariño). No other independent source corroborates this specific event.
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 26, 2026 ... The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a defunct leftist militant group. So defunct they are just cleaning old munitions out of warehouses ...
https://www.facebook.com/cnn/posts/at-least-14-people-were-k…
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 21, 2026 ... Colombia saw three soldiers killed by drone attacks in Ipiales, police losses in Caquetá, and eight dead in Catatumbo ELN combat within 72 ...
https://www.riotimesonline.com/colombia-drone-attacks-ipiale…
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... Hospitals, schools, police stations, electricity grids, and homes have all been struck, with injuries now numbering in the hundreds. Read the ...
https://www.facebook.com/ACLEDINFO/posts/drone-strikes-by-ar…
info
“Overall, according to the Defence Ministry, 20 people were killed by drones in 2025 and 297 were injured.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The article 'I always hear them before I see them' explicitly states that 20 people were killed and 297 injured by drones in 2025 according to the Defence Ministry. No other source corroborates these specific totals.
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web search NEUTRAL — On the night of 24 September, eleven vessels were attacked by drones. On 28 September, with the convoys merged in Crete, the flotilla departed to continue its ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Global_Sumud_Flotilla
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web search NEUTRAL — 44 minutes ago · Overall, according to the Defence Ministry, 20 people were killed by drones in 2025 and 297 were injured. A drone ...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2026/5/22/i-always-h…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 1, 2025 · that, according to the Colombian military, 252 attacks with drones were documented in the country between January and July 2025, an average ...
https://www.euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/…
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“Several groups are now using drones, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), Clan del Golfo and dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that refused to demobilise after a 2016 peace agreement.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the use of drones by ELN, Clan del Golfo, and FARC dissidents. This is mentioned in the 'Drone strikes by armed groups' post and the 'Total Peace paradox' article, as well as Wikipedia's entry on FARC dissidents.
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web search NEUTRAL — On 26 June 2020, Clan del Golfo and FARC dissidents were confirmed to be in ... "Who are leading the FARC dissident groups and where". Colombia Reports ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FARC_dissidents
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... The terrorist attack in Colombia using an FPV drone that managed to ... Main actors today • ELN • Clan del Golfo / AGC • FARC dissident ...
https://www.facebook.com/ACLEDINFO/posts/drone-strikes-by-ar…
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web search NEUTRAL — Some FARC dissident frentes (Spanish for fronts, used ... Recently, the EMC has also stepped up its use of makeshift drones to attack security forces and rival ...
https://acleddata.com/report/total-peace-paradox-colombia-pe…
verified
“That deal brought an end to six decades of conflict between the FARC and the Colombian state.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC is a well-documented historical fact aimed at ending the long-standing conflict, corroborated by multiple search results and general knowledge.
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 3, 2016 · By a vote of 50.25 to 49.75, Colombians rejected a peace deal with the FARC rebels. What effect do you think this will have on the peace ...At least 80 dead, several kidnapped in Colombi…
https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalDiscussion/comments/55l0v7…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 4, 2018 · The ceasefire has not failed, more than 95% of demobilized ex-guerrilla fighters continue complying with their duties according to the Final ...What caused the FARC's ranks to decline pr…
https://www.quora.com/What-will-happen-if-the-Colombian-gove…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 21, 2024 · The peace negotiations between FARC and the Colombian government resulted primarily in the disarmament of FARC members, allowing them to ...
https://brainly.com/question/55028974
info
“In July 2024, 10-year-old Dylan Camilo Erazo Yela was playing football in El Plateado, Cauca, when a drone belonging to a FARC dissident group dropped a "tatuco" — a homemade explosive device — that detonated and killed him.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for this claim returned information about the musician Bob Dylan, not the child Dylan Camilo Erazo Yela. No evidence was found to verify the specific incident in El Plateado, Cauca.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; [1] born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Bob Dylan’s first major art publication in more than a decade—-featuring nearly 100 unseen sketches, and short prose from Eddie Gorodetsky, Jackie Hamilton, and Lucy Sante. Available now!
https://www.bobdylan.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Bob Dylan is an American folksinger and songwriter who moved from folk to rock music in the 1960s, infusing the lyrics of rock and roll with the intellectualism of classic literature and …
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Dylan
help
“In 2025, for instance, the International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that 235,619 people were displaced.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the ICRC estimate of 235,619 displaced people in 2025.
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“The start of that year saw an escalation in Catatumbo between the ELN and a FARC dissident group called Frente 33. The fighting left more than 80 people dead and displaced at least 100,000 people”
DISPUTED
Wikipedia confirms fighting in Catatumbo between ELN and FARC dissidents starting Jan 16, 2025, with at least 103 people killed. However, the claim states 'more than 80 people dead' and 'at least 100,000 displaced'. While the death toll is consistent (103 > 80), there is no evidence in the provided results regarding the 100,000 displaced persons.
schedule
“In October 2025, they launched Latin America’s first Unmanned Aircraft Battalion (BANOT), dedicated to conducting drone operations on behalf of the government.”
PENDING
schedule
“In January 2026, the Colombian government announced a $1.68bn project to develop an anti-drone shield.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.