Colombia alleges deadly border bombing as Ecuador denies responsibility

Wednesday 18 March 2026 - 12:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Colombia alleges deadly border bombing as Ecuador denies responsibility

Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro has accused Ecuador of carrying out airstrikes near their shared border that left 27 people dead, escalating a diplomatic dispute between the neighboring countries. Ecuador’s government has rejected the claims, insisting its military operations have remained strictly within its own territory.

The confrontation began after Colombian authorities reported the discovery of an unexploded bomb in the village of Jardines de Sucumbíos, in the Nariño department near the Ecuadorian border. Petro said the device, believed to weigh about 250 kilograms, had been dropped from an aircraft. He argued that neither Colombian security forces nor armed groups in the region have the air capabilities to carry out such strikes.

Petro later stated that 27 bodies had been found burned in the area and questioned official explanations. He maintained that Colombia had not authorized any bombing operations and suggested the attack could not have been carried out by irregular armed groups. The Colombian defense ministry said it had deployed demining units and security personnel to investigate the site.

Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa dismissed the accusations, calling them false and reaffirming that all military actions were conducted within Ecuador’s borders. Foreign minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said operations were targeting camps used by irregular armed groups crossing from Colombia into Ecuador, not civilians. Ecuador’s defense ministry reiterated that its forces operate exclusively on national territory.

The dispute comes amid deteriorating relations between Bogotá and Quito. Earlier this year, Ecuador imposed a security tariff on Colombian imports, initially set at 30 percent and later raised to 50 percent, citing concerns over drug trafficking along the border. Colombia responded with similar trade measures.

The crisis also reflects broader strategic differences. Ecuador has strengthened security ties with the United States and joined a military coalition launched by President Donald Trump. Recent joint operations between US and Ecuadorian forces targeted a camp linked to the Colombian armed group Comandos de la Frontera near the border. Colombia is not part of the coalition.

Petro said he had asked Trump to intervene and contact Noboa to prevent further escalation. Analysts note that key facts remain unclear, including the origin of the alleged bombing and the identities of those killed.