At least 18 people have been killed and several others were injured in two attacks in Colombia attributed to dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. A parked vehicle was detonated with explosives on Thursday in Cali, the country's third most populous city. The incident took place near a military aviation school, resulting in six fatalities and 71 others injured, as per Al Jazeera report quoting the mayor's office.
Earlier in the day, a National Police Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during an anti-narcotics mission. The chopper was on a coca leaf crop eradication operation. This incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Amalfi municipality in the department of Antioquia, killing at least 12 police officers.
Attack on Police Helicopter in Colombia Caught on Camera
Colombian President Gustavo Petro alleged dissident factions of the now-defunct FARC group that have rejected a 2016 peace agreement to end a prolonged internal conflict that has left more than 45,000 dead in the country.
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Gustavo Petro on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) said that the attack on a police chopper occurred as the aircraft was transporting personnel to an area in Antioquia, in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine.
Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said that preliminary information indicates the attack caused a fire in the police helicopter.