The institution has images to identify the two attackers, who would be particular.
News Colombia.
In a serious act of violence that occurred on September 3 on the Siloé village of the municipality of Villagarzón, Putumayo, two uniformed national army were brutally attacked with gasoline and fire while participating in an operation against drug trafficking. The Lieutenant Miguel Ángel Mejía Gutiérrez and the professional soldier Sebastián Díaz Amaya resulted in third grade burns after being ambushed during the destruction of a laboratory for cocaine processing.
See: “He was in depression and Colombia was a light”: Spanish citizen told his experience in the country and broke prejudices
The military was part of an official operation against organized crime, when they were surrounded by a group of people who, according to preliminary information, would be under the influence of the illegal armed group commands of the border (CDF). In the midst of a violent assonada, civilians threw gasoline on the soldiers and set them on fire, in an act that has been classified as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
After the attack, the uniformed were evacuated by helicopter and initially stabilized in the city of Florence, Caquetá. Subsequently, they were transferred to the Military Hospital in Bogotá, where they receive specialized attention. The counsel Mejía has burns in about 75 % of his body, while Soldier Díaz has effects in 30 % of his body surface. Both remain out of danger.
#Oficial communication | The #Brigade27Organic Unit of @Exercise_DIV6denounces before the public opinion that:
1. On the Siloé Vereda, municipality of Villagarzón, #Putumayowhile troops of the Infantry Battalion No. 25 advanced legitimate military operations oriented to … pic.twitter.com/dm9VRTJPVQ
– Colombia National Army (@col_ejercito) SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
The fact has generated a strong institutional reaction. The Ministry of Defense condemned the attack and announced a reward of up to 200 million pesos for information that allows identifying and capturing those responsible. In turn, the military forces described the act as an attempt to atrocious homicide against their men in service, and assured that they will not cease operations in the region, considered a strategic area for drug trafficking.
The Ombudsman also pronounced vigorously, asking for the suspension of peace dialogues with the armed groups responsible for the attack, until there is a clear commitment to the cessation of hostilities against the public force and the civilian population. “You cannot advance in conversations as long as acts of this nature continue to be presented,” said the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo.
This episode shows the complex security situation that is lived in some regions of the country, where the territorial control of illegal armed actors continues to represent a risk for institutions, civilians and the stability of the total peace process. The authorities advance in the investigation of the events, while the two military fight for their recovery in a high complexity hospital.
It may interest you:
