Automotive bomb and assault on Colombian helicopter kills 17

[ad_1] BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A automotive bomb and a separate assault on a police helicopter in Colombia killed a minimum of 17 folks Thursday, in response to authorities. President Gustavo Petro attributed each assaults to dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, generally referred to as FARC .

At the least 12 cops died within the assault on a helicopter that in response to authorities was transporting personnel to an space in Antioquia in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the uncooked materials for cocaine . Petro had reported initially eight officers killed, however Antioquia Gov. Andrés Julián stated 4 others died later and three stay injured.

The Antioquia governor had stated on X {that a} drone attacked the helicopter because it flew over coca leaf crops. Colombian Protection Minister Pedro Sánchez stated preliminary data signifies the assault induced a hearth within the plane.

In the meantime, authorities within the southwest metropolis of Cali reported {that a} automobile loaded with explosives detonated close to a army aviation faculty, killing 5 folks and injuring greater than 30. The Colombian air drive didn't instantly present further particulars of the explosion.

Petro initially blamed the Gulf Clan , the nation’s largest lively drug cartel, for the assault on the helicopter. He stated the plane was focused in retaliation for a cocaine seizure that allegedly belonged to the group.

The president stated an alleged member of the dissident group was arrested within the space of the explosion.

FARC dissidents, who rejected a peace settlement with the federal government in 2016, and members of the Gulf Clan each function in Antioquia.

Coca leaf cultivation is on the rise in Colombia. The world underneath cultivation reached a report 253,000 hectares in 2023, in response to the newest report out there from the U.N. Workplace on Medicine and Crime.

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Comply with AP’s protection of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

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