Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UN Confirms 7 Recruited Minors Killed in Colombia Airstrike as Petro Defends Order

UN rights officials confirmed the child deaths to bolster calls for stricter battlefield safeguards.

Overview

  • The airstrike in Guaviare targeted ex-FARC dissidents led by alias Iván Mordisco and was ordered by President Gustavo Petro.
  • The national forensic institute reported receiving 20 bodies from the operation, identifying seven minors among them—four girls and three boys—after an earlier ombudsman count of six.
  • Petro acknowledged giving the order and said the action sought to avert an ambush on soldiers, insisting the operation complied with humanitarian law.
  • The UN human rights office confirmed the minors were victims of forced recruitment and described the target as a legitimate military objective while urging stronger protections for children.
  • Political and security fallout continued, with calls for investigations and a proposed censure motion against the defense minister, as dissident attacks were reported in Cauca and three minors were rescued in the operation.