In a shocking outbreak of violence that has left communities reeling, at least seven people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in a brutal clash between two rival indigenous groups in Colombia’s volatile Cauca region.

The deadly confrontation erupted on Thursday in a rural area near the municipality of Silvia, pitting members of the Misak people from the Guambía reserve against the Nasa community from the Pitayó reserve. What began as a dispute over ancestral lands quickly descended into chaos, with fighters initially wielding stones, sticks, and machetes before escalating to firearms.

Dramatic video footage from the scene captures hundreds of people swarming across misty, hilly terrain dotted with trees and bushes. Crowds can be seen advancing and clashing in the grassy fields, with smoke rising in the distance as the confrontation unfolds in the remote Andean landscape. Shaky handheld clips show the sheer scale of the brawl, with figures running across the slopes in a scene reminiscent of ancient tribal conflicts.

Among the dead was prominent Misak leader Luis Enrique Tunubalá, governor of the Guambía Indigenous reserve. Mourners from his community, dressed in traditional attire and carrying white flags, were seen sobbing as forensic teams delivered his body. Four of the victims were reported to be Misak members, two Nasa, and one unidentified, according to local authorities.

The root of the bloodshed lies in a long-simmering territorial feud. Colombia’s National Land Authority (ANT) had granted the disputed area, spanning thousands of hectares, to the Nasa community, a decision fiercely rejected by the Misak, who claim it as their ancestral homeland. Tensions boiled over when Misak members moved in to ‘reclaim’ the land, triggering the violent escalation. Reports also emerged of homes being destroyed and individuals being kidnapped during the mayhem.

Colombian authorities wasted no time responding to the crisis. Hundreds of soldiers were deployed to the area on Friday to restore order, while Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the death toll could still rise. President Gustavo Petro, the country’s far-left leader, has called indigenous representatives to an urgent meeting on Monday in a bid to quell the unrest.

The Cauca region has long been plagued by conflict, from guerrilla warfare to battles over resources, but this intra-indigenous clash has stunned many. Both the Misak and Nasa are proud communities with deep historical ties to the land, yet their dispute highlights how even among indigenous peoples, territorial claims can turn deadly.

One local observer noted the raw tribalism on display: for thousands of years, groups have fought over territory in a similar fashion. The violence serves as a stark reminder that human nature’s drive for land and resources persists, even in the 21st century.

As forensic teams continue their work and communities mourn their losses, questions remain about how such deep-rooted rivalries can be resolved in a modern nation still grappling with its own complex history of division and reconciliation.