Latest news Dead and injured in attacks in Colombia
At least 18 people have been killed and dozens more injured in two attacks in Colombia. In the north of the South American country, suspected criminals shot down a police helicopter. According to Andrés Julián, governor of the department of Antioquia, twelve police officers were killed. Three police officers were still waiting to be rescued in the rural area, he wrote on Platform X.
22.08.2025, 07:06
SDA
A short time later, two explosive devices detonated near an air force base in the large city of Cali in south-western Colombia. According to the air force, six people were killed and more than 50 others were injured, according to the city administration.
Police helicopter attacked by drone
During an anti-drug operation, two helicopters in the department of Antioquia initially dropped off police officers who were supposed to destroy coca fields in the rural region. According to a report in the newspaper "El Tiempo", however, the police officers were attacked in the process and the helicopters then returned. One helicopter was attacked by a drone and crashed. A splinter group of the left-wing guerrilla organization Farc is believed to be behind the attack.
Following the attack in Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder announced that the military would take control of the city. In addition, the police will step up checks on access to the city. "In this hour in which drug terrorism has returned to our country, we must stand together," he said in a video address. President Gustavo Petro traveled to Cali to attend a meeting of the Security Council made up of members of the government, security forces and local authorities. He also blamed a Farc splinter group for the attack on the airbase.
Colombia dominates cocaine production
Colombia is the largest cocaine producer in the world. According to the United Nations, the country has around 65 percent of the world's coca cultivation area with over 250,000 hectares. The extremely lucrative business with the drug is fueling violence in the South American country, which already has a bloody history.
Left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the military fought a civil war for 52 years. 220,000 people lost their lives and millions were displaced. Although the security situation has improved following the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the then largest rebel group Farc, parts of the country are still controlled by illegal groups.
