Drone Attack, Car Bomb Kill 17 in Colombia

At least 17 people were killed in Colombia following two coordinated attacks: a drone strike on a police helicopter and a car bomb near a military aviation school. The helicopter, carrying personnel to eradicate coca leaf crops in Antioquia, was targeted by a drone attack that caused it to catch fire and crash, killing 12 officers and injuring three. The car bomb explosion killed five people and injured more than 30 others. Colombian President Gustavo Petro attributed both attacks to dissident factions of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), with initial suspicion also including the Gulf Clan drug cartel, suggesting retaliatory motives linked to cocaine seizures. These incidents highlight ongoing violence related to the increasing cultivation of coca leaf crops, which reached record levels in 2023 according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The attacks underscore the persistent security challenges in Colombia despite the official disbandment of FARC following the 2016 peace agreement.