• At least 18 people killed in two violent incidents in Colombia.
• A car bomb exploded near a military aviation school in Cali.
• A police helicopter was shot down in Antioquia, with multiple fatalities.
• President Petro has labeled the attackers as terrorists and called for international pursuit.
• Violence attributed to dissident factions of FARC and drug trafficking cartels.

On Thursday, Colombia experienced a significant escalation in violence, marked by two separate attacks resulting in at least 18 deaths. The deadliest incident occurred in the city of Cali, where a car bomb detonated near the Marco Fidel Suarez Military Aviation School, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder reported 71 injuries, with widespread destruction across the vicinity. Shortly after the bombing, a police helicopter was downed in Antioquia, killing 12 officers and injuring others during an operation aimed at eradicating coca crops used for cocaine production, which was underscored by President Gustavo Petro's updates on social media, according to SCMP and AA.

The helicopter attack was attributed to a drone strike by dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), confirmed by both local authorities and President Petro. The Colombian president initially blamed the Gulf Clan drug cartel for the incident, suspecting it was retaliation for a cocaine seizure, but later pointed to the Central General Staff (EMC) faction of the FARC as responsible. This shift indicates the growing influence of dissidents in a region where armed groups have regained power despite a prior peace agreement, according to India Times and Le Monde.

In response to the destructive incidents, President Petro declared that dissident factions and cartels be classified as terrorist organizations to facilitate international pursuit. He expressed concern over the rising coca cultivation, which reached a record 253,000 hectares in 2023, indicating a troubling trend in security and governance within Colombia. “This is terrorism. What happened in Cali irradiates panic among civilians,” he remarked, framing the violence within the broader context of ongoing struggles against narcotrafficking in Colombia, according to Al Jazeera and AA.