At least 18 killed and dozens of injured

At least 18 people were killed and dozens of injured in two separate attacks in Colombia, deepening the most serious security crisis in the country for decades.

Six people were killed and more than 60 were injured after a car bomb broke out on a busy street in the western city of Kali in Colombia, according to authorities.

Earlier on Thursday, a separate attack of drones against a police helicopter died at least 12 people in a rural area outside the northwestern city of Medellin.

Attacks attributed to various dissident factions of the already existing revolutionary armed forces of Colombia (FARC) are new challenges to the fragile peaceful processes of Colombia before the election next year.

Alejandro Eder, Mayor of Cali, ordered the military law for the third most common city in the country. He also announced a temporary ban on large trucks entering the city and called on the public to report information on the $ 10,000 prize incident.

As a result of the two attacks, the president and the military leadership announced that they would lead a meeting of the Security Council to “set additional protection” measures for citizens.

“The state will not succumb to terrorism. These crimes will be persecuted and punished with the full force of the law,” said the Ministry of Defense on Social Media.

According to eyewitnesses, the Cali car bomb is aimed at Marko Fidel Suarez’s military aviation school, killing civilians on the street and damaging many houses.

“There was a thunderous sound of something near the air base,” an eyewitness told AFP news agency.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez blew up the explosion of a “terrorist attack” and accused the “nickname cartel nickname of a drug – referring to FARC guerrilla leader Ivan Bite.

“This fearful attack on civilians is a desperate reaction to the loss of drug trafficking in Valle Del Cauca, Cowca and Narinho, where public power has neutralized much of this threat,” he said on social media.

Turning to the individual attack on a police helicopter, President Gustavo Petro said the plane is on a mission to eradicate the crops of the coca list – the main ingredient in cocaine.

The helicopter crashes on the ground after being hit by a drone, killing the 12 officers on board.

Images circulating on social media showed thick plums of black smoke, bending in the wooded Amalfi zone in the northern part of the country.

Sanchez said the attack was carried out by the EMC guerrilla group, the biggest shoot of FARC.

Colombia has been experiencing an increase in violence in recent months, including clashes between security forces and dissident rebels, paramilitary or narcotic bands.

Drones attacks are also becoming increasingly common in recent years: in 2024, 115 such attacks were registered in the country, most of them were carried out by illegal armed groups.

Last week, three soldiers were killed in the attack of drones in the southwestern part of the country, where explosive devices were released to members of the Navy and Army, who operated a checkpoint.