In brief
The president announced an airstrike on FARC dissidents in Catatumbo, killing four rebels and capturing six, including a key leader. The operation, called "Operation Noah," was part of a broader campaign against criminal groups in the border region. Colombian forces seized weapons and neutralized several encampments in the area.
At dawn on November 10, 2026, Colombian forces launched an airstrike over the Catatumbo region, killing four rebels and taking six others into custody, Xinhua reports.
The operation targeted militant insurgents in the rural area of Tibu, a town in the Norte de Santander department that sits near the Venezuelan frontier. According to the report, the strike was aimed at factions of the disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, that have continued to operate in the area under various names.
The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, posted the news on the social‑media platform X, announcing that the airstrike was part of “a decisive military operation” he authorized. The state’s National Army and Colombian Air Force were involved, the report said, and the attack removed a group that the government says seeks to sow terror and exert control over Catatumbo through violence.
In a decisive military operation that I authorized in a rural area of Tibu, Norte de Santander (department), our National Army and Colombian Air Force struck this criminal organization, which seeks to sow terror and exert control over Catatumbo through fire and bloodshed.
In a subsequent statement, de la Espriella identified the operation’s code name as Operation Noah, describing it as a step toward eliminating the criminal influence of FARC dissidents along the Venezuelan border. He added that the raid captured a rebel leader known as “Barba Chivo,” a close associate of Andrey Avendano, the top commander of a group called “Structure 33” that operates in the Tibu municipality.
The president further said that Colombian troops seized seven rifles and 15 drone‑dropped grenades, and struck three encampments that could accommodate approximately 35 members of the organization. He emphasized that the offensive would continue until senior leaders of the militias are brought to justice for attacks carried out across the country.
Electoral records show that De la Espriella has taken office on August 7 and has already ordered seven bombing raids against a range of armed criminal and rebel groups in Catatumbo and other areas, including Guaviare and Chocó. Targets to date have included the two main FARC dissident factions, the National Liberation Army and the Clan del Golfo criminal group.
The Xinhua report suggests that this latest operation may bring a significant segment of the insurgent population under government control, but it also highlights the continued presence of criminal groups that threaten stability along Colombia’s northern borders. The government’s strident call to pursue reportage on commanders such as Barba Chivo underscores a policy of tough, military‑focused counterinsurgency that will likely shape the security landscape in the region for the coming months.
