Drone, Car Bomb Attacks Kill 18 in Colombia Amid FARC Dissident Violence

Colombia experienced two deadly attacks attributed to dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens. A police Black Hawk helicopter was downed by a drone during an anti-narcotics operation in Antioquia, killing 12 officers, while a car bomb exploded near the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School in Cali, causing multiple casualties. President Gustavo Petro blamed the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a FARC dissident group allied with drug cartels, for the attacks, which he labeled as terrorism, and vowed to intensify the fight against drug trafficking and demand international recognition of these groups as terrorists. The attacks mark an escalation in violence ahead of the 2026 presidential elections and follow a surge in coca cultivation in Colombia. Authorities have increased security measures, including martial law in Cali and rewards for information on the perpetrators. Defense officials emphasize that the state will not yield to terrorism and are actively pursuing those responsible.