&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Drone attack on police helicopter in Colombia, 12 officers killed; incident caught on camera")
A police helicopter carrying personnel on a coca eradication mission was attacked in northern Colombia on Thursday (Aug 21), leading to the deaths of 12 officers and injuring three others. Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed the tragic incident, which occurred as the chopper flew over Antioquia, a region known for coca cultivation. According to Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez, preliminary findings indicate that the helicopter was struck by a drone while flying over coca fields. The impact triggered a fire on board, causing the aircraft to crash. Videos circulating on social media captured the dramatic moment of the explosion and the subsequent smoke plumes rising from the wreckage.
Initial reports suggested six fatalities and seven injuries, but the numbers were later updated. Colombian President Petro first announced eight deaths, which was later corrected by Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián, who confirmed that 12 officers had died, and three others were injured. The Colombian President has attributed the attack to dissident factions of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These groups, which rejected the 2016 peace deal, remain active in drug-producing regions like Antioquia. Although Petro initially pointed fingers at the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug cartel, he later stated the strike was most likely a retaliation from FARC dissidents following a major cocaine seizure tied to the group. Both criminal groups are known to operate in the region.
Colombia is seeing a significant increase in coca leaf farming, the raw ingredient for cocaine. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the total area under coca cultivation hit a historic high of 253,000 hectares in 2023.
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