Drone Downs Colombian Police Helicopter, Truck Bomb Kills 17

In Colombia, a drone attack by dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) downed a police Black Hawk helicopter transporting officers to eradicate coca leaf crops in Antioquia, killing 12 officers. Hours later, a truck bomb exploded near a military aviation school in Cali, killing at least six people and injuring dozens, marking another violent strike attributed to FARC dissidents. President Gustavo Petro and other officials condemned these acts as narco-terrorism, linking them to drug trafficking groups including the Gulf Clan and splinter groups like the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central. Authorities have arrested suspects linked to the attacks and offered substantial rewards for information to prevent further incidents. The attacks highlight the ongoing challenges posed by Colombia's expanding coca cultivation, which has led to increased cocaine production and the use of drones by illegal armed groups for both surveillance and offensive operations. These events underscore the persistent violence and instability fueled by drug cartels and armed factions in Colombia's key coca-growing regions.