Key Facts
—Who. Colombia’s military and the ELN, a long-running Colombian guerrilla group.
—What. An air bombardment of an ELN camp; eight reported dead and one minor recovered.
—Where. A rural area of Nariño department, in south-west Colombia on the Ecuador border.
—When. The early hours of Thursday 22 October 2026, the fifth bombing under President De la Espriella.
—Status. The toll is preliminary. As of 22 October 2026, 15:30 GMT.
Colombia’s military bombed a camp of the ELN guerrilla group in the south-west early on Thursday. President Abelardo De la Espriella confirmed eight dead and one minor recovered.
What We Know
In the early hours of Thursday 22 October 2026, Colombia’s military bombed an ELN camp in a rural area of Nariño department. Nariño lies in south-west Colombia and borders Ecuador.
The ELN, short for National Liberation Army, is a long-running Colombian guerrilla group. El Tiempo, Blu Radio and RCN say the camp belonged to its Southwestern War Front.
President Abelardo De la Espriella confirmed that eight people died and that one minor was recovered. The toll is preliminary, according to the Colombian reports.
The operation was carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command, known as CCOES, in a high-precision air operation. In plain English, a bombardment is an air attack on a fixed ground target.
Troops were entering the area to verify the toll, according to the Colombian reports. Authorities are also working to identify the dead.
El Tiempo, Semana, Blu Radio and La FM reported the operation on Thursday. The Rio Times has not independently verified the toll, which rests on the president’s statement.
What Is Not Known
The reports we reviewed do not name the municipality where the camp was hit. They also do not identify the dead.
It is not yet known whether any civilians were affected. The final toll could change as troops finish verifying the numbers on the ground.
We found no statement from the ELN and no reaction from human-rights groups. Neither had appeared in the Colombian coverage at the time of writing.
Officials have not released an account of the camp’s size or layout. Nor do the reports say how long the operation had been planned.
The Fifth Bombing Under De la Espriella
This is the fifth bombardment ordered by De la Espriella since he took office in August 2026. El Tiempo says it is the first recorded in this part of the country.
The earlier four hit the ELN in Catatumbo in August, FARC dissidents in Guaviare on 27 and 31 August, and an armed group in Catatumbo on 11 October. Colombian reports say the first tolls rose after later forensic counts in several of them.
Forensic officials confirmed minors among the dead in the two Guaviare strikes and in the October strike in Catatumbo. That is why each new bombing draws close attention to who was inside the camp.
The same caution applies today, because the eight dead is a first count. It may change once ground troops and forensic teams finish their work.
Nariño is a new theatre for these operations, according to El Tiempo. Earlier strikes were in Catatumbo and Guaviare.
Our earlier reports covered the first airstrike under De la Espriella in Catatumbo and a later airstrike that killed 20 guerrillas. A judge then lifted a suspension of bombings and set rules to protect child recruits, and the government contested those limits.
La FM reports that Nariño is contested by the ELN and the FARC dissidents of Iván Mordisco. These splinter fighters from the former FARC rebel army compete over drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
Nariño borders Ecuador, and armed groups contest parts of the department. Readers planning travel to Colombia should check the US State Department’s current advisory before they go.
Colombia’s armed groups are linked to drug trafficking, which keeps the country on the agenda of US security policy. Operations such as this one are likely to be watched in Washington for that reason.
We have seen no reports of travel disruption linked to the strike. Conditions can change quickly, so official advisories remain the best guide.
For US readers, the five strikes show a government using military force against armed groups in several regions. The court fight over child recruits shows that the policy is still being tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Nariño?
Colombia’s military bombed an ELN camp in a rural part of Nariño in the early hours of 22 October 2026. President De la Espriella confirmed eight dead and one minor recovered.
What is the ELN?
The ELN, or National Liberation Army, is a long-running Colombian guerrilla group. El Tiempo and Blu Radio say the camp belonged to its Southwestern War Front.
How many bombings has De la Espriella ordered?
This is the fifth since he took office in August 2026, according to El Tiempo. Earlier strikes hit Catatumbo and Guaviare.
Were civilians affected?
That is not known yet. Troops are still verifying the toll and identifying the dead.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief