BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A automobile bomb and a separate assault on a police helicopter in Colombia killed at the very least 13 individuals on Thursday, in line with authorities. President Gustavo Petro attributed each incidents to dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, generally generally known as FARC.
Petro stated on X that eight cops died within the helicopter assault and famous that the plane was transporting personnel to an space in Antioquia, in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the uncooked materials for cocaine.
Antioquia Gov. Andrés Julián stated on the identical social media platform {that a} drone attacked the helicopter because it flew over coca leaf crops. Colombian Protection Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that preliminary data signifies the assault induced a fireplace within the plane.
Authorities didn’t instantly present particulars of the circumstances of the eight individuals who had been injured within the helicopter assault.
In the meantime, authorities within the southwest metropolis of Cali reported {that a} automobile loaded with explosives detonated close to a navy aviation faculty, killing 5 individuals and injuring greater than 30. The Colombian Aerospace Pressure didn’t instantly present extra particulars of the explosion.
Petro initially blamed the Gulf Clan, the nation’s largest energetic drug cartel, for the helicopter assault. He asserted that the plane was focused in retaliation for a cocaine seizure that allegedly belonged to the group.
FARC dissidents, who rejected a peace settlement with the federal government in 2016, and members of the Gulf Clan function in Antioquia.
Coca leaf cultivation is on the rise in Colombia. The world beneath cultivation reached a file 253,000 hectares in 2023, in line with the most recent report out there from the United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime.
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Comply with AP’s protection of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
