CALI: Colombia was rocked Thursday by two coordinated attacks that left at least 17 people dead and dozens more wounded, in one of the deadliest escalations of violence in recent years.
In Cali, a car bomb exploded outside the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School, killing five to six people and injuring more than 36 others, according to local officials. The powerful blast damaged nearby homes and businesses, forcing evacuations and spreading panic through the city’s north. Witnesses described shattered glass, collapsed walls, and terrified residents fleeing as emergency crews pulled victims from the rubble.
Hours later, in Antioquia province, a Colombian police Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by a drone during a coca-eradication mission, killing at least 11 officers. Combined, the two attacks have left 17 to 18 people dead, depending on the source, with Reuters citing 18 fatalities and the Associated Press reporting 17.
President Gustavo Petro blamed both assaults on dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), particularly the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a group that rejected the 2016 peace accord.
“These are terrorist actions meant to destabilize Colombia,” Petro said in a televised address. “But they will not defeat our democracy or our people’s will for peace.”
Local authorities have tightened security nationwide, with Cali’s mayor imposing a ban on heavy trucks entering the city and offering a $10,000 reward for information. Security analysts warn the attacks demonstrate a dangerous shift in tactics by armed groups, combining car bombs with drone warfare.
As Colombia prepares for the 2026 elections, officials fear that rising violence from FARC dissidents could intensify, threatening fragile peace efforts.
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