Deadly Attacks in Colombia Hint at Resurgent Violence by FARC Dissidents

In Colombia, a car bomb and an attack on a police helicopter resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people. President Gustavo Petro blamed FARC dissidents and the Gulf Clan for the incidents, which occurred amidst coca eradication efforts. The attacks underscore Colombia's ongoing battle with organized crime.

A car bomb and a police helicopter assault have claimed at least 13 lives in Colombia, authorities reported.

President Gustavo Petro has assigned responsibility for these attacks, which occurred on Thursday, to dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC.

Petro took to X to announce that eight officers perished in the helicopter attack, highlighting that the aircraft was transporting personnel to Antioquia, northern Colombia, to eliminate coca leaf plantations, the source of cocaine.

Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián shared on the same platform that a drone targeted the helicopter as it hovered over coca crops. Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that preliminary findings indicate the attack induced a blaze onboard.

Information on the condition of the eight injured individuals in the helicopter attack remains undisclosed by authorities.

Concurrently, in the southwestern city of Cali, authorities reported a vehicle filled with explosives detonated near a military aviation school, causing five fatalities and over 30 injuries.

The Colombian Aerospace Force has yet to reveal further specifics on the explosion.

Initially, Petro accused the Gulf Clan, the most significant drug cartel in the country, for the helicopter strike, suggesting a connection to a recent cocaine seizure linked to the group.

Both FARC dissidents, who refused a 2016 peace accord with the government, and Gulf Clan operatives are active in Antioquia.

Coca cultivation has seen an upward trend in Colombia, with 2023 reaching an all-time high of 253,000 hectares, as per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's latest report.

(With inputs from agencies.)