Colombia: At least five people were killed and 36 injured after a powerful car bomb exploded on a busy street in the western city of Cali in Colombia.
The blast targeted the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School in the city’s north, killing civilians in the surrounding area and damaging several homes. Mayor Alejandro Eder condemned the attack, offering a reward for information on those responsible.
In the immediate aftermath, schools and nearby buildings were evacuated, and authorities imposed a ban on large trucks entering the city. Eyewitnesses described a ‘thunderous sound’ near the air base, while police confirmed dozens of people were hospitalised.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez called the incident a terrorist attack and accused the dissident guerrilla leader Iván Mordisco, head of a narco faction linked to the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Sánchez remarked that, “This cowardly attack against civilians is a desperate reaction to the loss of control over drug trafficking in Valle del Cauca, Cauca, and Nariño.”
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Just hours earlier, a separate attack in a rural area outside Medellín left at least 12 dead after a police helicopter was struck by a drone and crashed to the ground. The aircraft had been on a mission to eradicate coca crops when it came under attack. President Gustavo Petro said the victims included police officers, though it was unclear whether they died in the crash or on the ground.
Images circulating on social media showed thick black smoke rising from a forested area in Amalfi, Antioquia. Authorities blamed the attack on the EMC, the largest FARC dissident faction.
In response to the twin assaults, the president and senior military officials announced an emergency security council meeting to define new protection measures. The Ministry of Defence stated that, “The state will not yield to terrorism. These crimes will be pursued and punished with the full force of the law.”
Colombia has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months as security forces confront rebel groups, paramilitaries, and drug cartels. Drone strikes have become an increasingly common tactic, with 115 such attacks reported in 2024 alone. Just last week, three soldiers were killed in a drone attack in the country’s south-west.
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