In Colombia, car bomb and attack on a helicopter kill at least 13

Forensics inspect the site of a bomb explosion outside an Air Force base in Cali, Colombia, on Aug. 21, 2025. SANTIAGO SALDARRIAGA / AP

A car bomb and a separate attack on a police helicopter in Colombia killed at least 13 people on Thursday, August 21, according to authorities. President Gustavo Petro attributed both incidents to dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC.

Petro said on X that eight police officers died in the attack on a helicopter and noted that the aircraft was transporting personnel to an area in Antioquia in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine.

Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián said on the same social media platform that a drone attacked the helicopter as it flew over coca leaf crops. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said preliminary information indicates the attack caused a fire in the aircraft. Authorities did not immediately provide details of the conditions of the eight people who were injured in the attack.

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