BOGOTA, Aug 23: At least 17 people, including 12 police officers, were killed in two separate attacks in Colombia on Thursday. A police helicopter transporting personnel to eradicate coca crops in Antioquia was reportedly hit by a drone, causing a fire and crash.
Initially, President Gustavo Petro blamed the Gulf Clan, linking the attack to a recent cocaine seizure. However, he later attributed both the helicopter attack and a car bombing in Cali to dissidents of the defunct FARC rebel group.
The car bomb exploded near a military aviation school in Cali, killing five and injuring over 30. Authorities have arrested a suspected FARC dissident in connection with the bombing. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the helicopter fire was likely caused by the attack, and Antioquia’s governor noted the aircraft was flying over coca fields at the time.
FARC dissidents and the Gulf Clan both operate in the Antioquia region and are involved in drug trafficking. FARC groups had rejected the 2016 peace deal. Meanwhile, coca cultivation continues to surge in Colombia, with a record 253,000 hectares under cultivation in 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The violence highlights ongoing instability linked to the drug trade and armed groups. (AP)
