Drones with explosives: the unlawful weapon in Colombia this is suspected attacked police helicopter

Bogotá – Bogotá (AP) – Drones conditioned with explosives have grow to be an an increasing number of used weapon through unlawful armed teams in Colombia, so the government examine whether or not they served to assault a helicopter shot down on Thursday in an operation of eradication of coca leaves by which 13 law enforcement officials died and no less than 3 extra have been injured.

Consistent with the Police, skilled brokers in handbook eradication of coca leaves performed paintings in a rural space of ​​Amalfi, within the division of Antioquia – within the northwest of the rustic – after they have been attacked through contributors of an unlawful construction with explosives and photographs, so a helicopter was once despatched to enhance them. The airplane additionally ended up being attacked.

A firefighter works in a broken construction the day prior to for the explosion of a automobile bomb out of doors a base of the Air Pressure in Cali, Colombia, on Friday, August 22, 2025.

(Santiago Saldarriaga/AP)

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Movies disseminated in social networks through native government display the instant when a column of smoke from the helicopter comes when it appeared to have caused to land.

The police director, Primary Common Carlos Fernando Triana, detailed on Friday to the clicking that the assault on his uniformed males in land and air incorporated use of drones and explosive artifacts akin to artisanal randombetes with dynamite, however didn’t ascertain {that a} drone would have produced the demolition of the helicopter.

Triana attributed the authorship of the assault on a dissent of the previous guerrillas Innovative Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) beneath the command of alias “Calarcá”, which failed to settle for the peace settlement signed with the State in 2016.

The Disidences of the FARC have been additionally answerable for detonating a automobile bomb on Thursday in Cali, within the southwest, killing six civilians and wounding greater than 70 individuals who circulated in extensive sunlight within the atmosphere of an army aviation college.

Dissidences have proven their deadly capability at a time when executive coverage of peace isn’t at its absolute best. President Gustavo Petro, the primary of the left within the nation, has attempted Dialogues with virtually all armed teams, together with dissidentswith out good fortune.

Drones as a weapon

Drones used as a weapon have modified in fresh months the dynamics of armed war within the nation, which maintain more than one unlawful teams that dispute the area of strategic territories for illicit economies akin to drug trafficking.

“Now all teams use drones and the general public power does now not have sufficient methods to counteract it, as a result of they’re dear and are required all over the place there’s possibility, one thing very tough to get within the quick time period,” he instructed The Related Press Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for Colombia of the Global Team disaster.

In 2024 108 assaults with drones perpetrated through unlawful buildings left a murdered army and 26 injured. In the meantime, to this point from 2025 there have been 118 assaults that experience brought about the loss of life of 9 army and wounded to 83 extra, consistent with figures given through the army forces to AP. The figures don’t come with civilians who’ve additionally been sufferers.

Closing 12 months A ten -year -old boy died in a drone After I performed soccer on a convulsive corregimiento courtroom of El Silver, within the southwest. The government then pointed to the dissidents.

Since January the Govt seeks to put into effect a plan to have an anti-Drone gadget that permits to counteract assaults particularly in army amenities, power networks and populated facilities. The army additionally initiated the improvement within the nation of a reputation and assault drone for army operations.

The government have reported that drones are utilized by unlawful to release explosives, but additionally to observe military troops and observe spaces to, for instance, take away drug shipments.

The military has reported findings of artisanal grenades that have been going for use through FARC dissidents to be thrown from drones. In August 2024 there have been 800 grenades consisted of a tube, fins on the backside and inside of they carried gunpowder and shrapnel.

Dickinson stated the unlawful typically purchase drones within the industrial marketplace after which situation them to hold explosives. “It’s not delicate, nor do they’ve the capability to specify when it’ll explode, however they load and exploit it at random. It does now not discriminate towards the civilian inhabitants,” he defined.

Will Freeman, a researcher of Latin American Research within the International Affairs Council, warned AP that it’s most likely that unlawful teams will make “tactical exhibitions of violence” because the legislative and presidential elections of 2026 are drawing near.