Ataque con dron y explosivos hiere a mineros en Segovia, Antioquia

A unmanned aircraft carrying explosives descended on a mining operation in rural Antioquia on a recent afternoon, releasing five devices that detonated across the work site. The attack struck the El Cogote mine, located in the El Aporreado settlement roughly twenty minutes by road from Segovia's town center, leaving at least two workers injured and scattering damage across parked vehicles and equipment scattered across the grounds.

The incident represents the latest eruption of violence in Antioquia's northeastern region, where armed groups have long competed for control of illegal revenue streams. Colonel Luis Muñoz, who commands police operations in the department, confirmed the drone strike and noted that one victim had already been transported to Segovia's hospital. He described an active investigation underway with both military and police personnel deployed to the rural area, working to establish the circumstances and identify those responsible.

Muñoz indicated that authorities were examining whether the attack stemmed from extortion demands. Preliminary assessments pointed toward members of the Fourth Front of the Farc as likely perpetrators, with the strike potentially connected to unpaid protection payments. The colonel emphasized that investigators were still working to confirm these details and understand the full scope of what had occurred.

The El Cogote operation, managed by the Mutual Association of Miners El Cogote, has maintained continuous operations across more than five decades in the region. Rubén Darío Gómez, secretary of Conalminercol, described the facility as a longstanding presence in the area and characterized the damage as primarily material in nature—vehicles destroyed, infrastructure compromised—though the human toll extended to at least one worker injured in the blast.

Gómez framed the attack within a broader pattern of intimidation and chaos that armed groups have worked to establish across the northeastern mining zone. He described it as part of a larger struggle over illegal revenue sources, with criminal organizations using violence to enforce their claims on mining operations and other economic activity. The incident underscores the precarious position of mining enterprises in regions where state authority remains contested and armed groups extract payment through threat and force.