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2h ago

Drone Downs Police Black Hawk, Car Bomb Hits Cali as Violence Kills at Least 18 in Colombia

Authorities attribute the strikes to FARC dissident factions, with casualty totals rising after a suspect was detained in Cali.

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Members of the Colombian police inspect the area of a bomb explosion in Cali, Colombia, after five people were killed and dozens were injured by a vehicle bomb
Colombia helicoptor attack
Security forces and forensic team members work next to debris following the explosion of a cargo vehicle near an Aerospace Force base, in one of two attacks attributed to FARC dissident groups, that caused multiple casualties, according to authorities, in Cali, Colombia August 21, 2025. REUTERS/Oswaldo Paez

Overview

  • Officials say an explosive-laden drone hit a National Police UH-60 Black Hawk during a coca eradication mission near Amalfi, Antioquia, killing 12 officers as video of the crash circulated online.
  • A vehicle bomb detonated on a busy street by the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School in Cali, leaving at least six dead and more than 60 injured, according to city and health authorities.
  • President Gustavo Petro and Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez now point to FARC dissident networks, including EMC fronts, after earlier statements also referenced the Gulf Clan in shifting attributions.
  • Cali’s mayor declared martial law, restricted heavy truck traffic and offered rewards for information, while citizens captured a suspect identified as Walter Steban Yonda Ipia, alias ‘Sebastián,’ who was handed to authorities.
  • The dual attacks reflect a broader escalation linked to drug trafficking as coca cultivation hit a record 253,000 hectares in 2023, with armed groups increasingly using FPV drones against security forces.