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Attack on police helicopter in Colombia caught on camera; 12 officers killed
In a separate attack, at least five people were killed after an explosive device exploded in a car, also allegedly carried out by FARC.
A police helicopter was attacked in Colombia on Thursday. The attack, which was captured on camera, has killed 12 officers officers and injured three others, as per President Gustavo Petro.
Taking to X, the Colombian president attributed the attack to the dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
As per Petro, the helicopter was transporting police personnel to Antioquia, in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine.
Initially, Petro said that eight officers had been killed, but Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián later confirmed that the death toll has increased to 12 and three others remain injured.
The helicopter was targeted and hit by a drone as it flew over the coca leaf crops. As per Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, the preliminary investigation stated that the attack on the chopper caused a fire in the aircraft.
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Authorities did not immediately provide details of the conditions of the eight people who were injured in the attack.
Watch | Attack on Colombian helicopter caught on camera
The videos circulating on social media show the exact moment the helicopter crashed due to a drone strike by FARC dissidents.
Following the attack, plumes of thick smoke are in the air. After the attack, initial reports claimed that six officers had been killed and seven injured. However, the president later confirmed that the death toll had increased to eight.
Ahead of FARC, Petro initially blamed the Gulf Clan for the attack. The Gulf Clan is the Colombia's largest active drug cartel.
As per the president, the police chopper was targeted as a retaliation for a cocaine seizure that allegedly belonged to the group.
Both FARC dissidents and members of the Gulf Clan operate in Antioquia.
Coca leaf cultivation is on the rise in Colombia. As per a report available from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the area under cultivation reached a record 253,000 hectares in 2023.
Car bomb attack kills 5
In a separate attack, at least five people were killed after an explosive device exploded in a car on Thursday. The Colombian president has once again placed FARC as the perpetrator of the attack.
The vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near a military aviation school, killing five and injuring over 30 people. The Colombian air force did not immediately provide additional details of the explosion.
(With inputs from AP)
