Colombian troops have begun using explosive-laden drones to fight against guerrillas and gangs, as the device is increasingly used in battlefields around the world for different purposes.
Speaking to NPR, Army Gen. Juan Carlos Correa said criminal groups are also using drones to monitor crops, target rival groups and conduct attacks against security forces.
"The conflict will always be a David vs. Goliath situation but a drone can be the perfect solution for these groups when they are confronting the military, which has a lot more technology," said Air Force Gen. Andres Guzman, who leads the state-run company producing military drones for the country.
The outlet added that this escalation can have unintended effects, including harming civilians. "The targeting system is not very precise. There was a 10-year-old kid who was killed by one of these grenades in the middle of a town," the official told NPR. However, criminal groups have also wounded some 60 troops and killed four more.
The practice is extending elsewhere in the region. Forces fighting on behalf of the Haitian government have reportedly killed hundreds of gang members with drones over the past months, inflicting tangible damage to criminal organizations that have managed to control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to a report by the National Human Rights Defense Network and picked up by InSight Crime, drone operations had killed at least 300 gang members and wounded 400 more by late June.
The effort by the cornered government began months ago with the hiring of U.S. military contractor Erik Prince to help its forces. The Washington Post reported in April about the effort to deploy weaponized drones, detailing that they are commercial models modified with improvised explosives.
Mexican guerrillas have resorted to other methods to inflict damage on troops. Earlier this month, a Colombian soldier died and two others were wounded after an explosive-laden donkey was set off.
The attack took place in Valdivia, in the department of Antioquia, and was attributed to the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN).
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