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37m ago

Twin Attacks in Colombia Down Police Helicopter and Strike Near Cali Air Base

Officials now attribute the attacks to FARC dissidents, with casualty figures still being revised.

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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
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
Members of the security forces and people 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

  • A police helicopter on a coca-eradication mission in Antioquia was hit by a drone and crashed, with officials variously reporting 8 to 12 officers killed and several injured as videos of the strike circulated online.
  • A vehicle bomb exploded near Cali’s Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School, killing at least five people and injuring more than 30, prompting evacuations of nearby buildings.
  • Cali’s mayor banned large trucks from entering the city and offered a $10,000 reward for information as authorities investigate the bombing.
  • Government attribution shifted from the Gulf Clan to FARC dissident factions, with President Gustavo Petro and the defense minister citing EMC fronts, including units linked to Iván Mordisco.
  • Investigations and security deployments are underway, and the violence is being tied to record coca cultivation reported by the UN and mounting pressure on Petro’s ‘total peace’ agenda ahead of the 2026 elections.