18 Killed in Colombia Attacks Linked to FARC Dissidents
Bogotá, August 22 – At least 18 people have lost their lives and dozens more were injured in two violent incidents in Colombia on Thursday, both believed to be carried out by armed factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who rejected the 2016 peace deal.
The first incident took place in Cali, the country’s third-largest city, when a vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near an air force base. Local authorities confirmed that six people were killed and at least 71 others were injured in the powerful blast. Emergency services rushed to the scene as nearby houses and businesses sustained heavy damage.
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Earlier the same day, a National Police Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter was shot down in Amalfi, a rural municipality in the Antioquia department, during a coca eradication mission. Twelve police officers on board were killed in the attack, making it one of the deadliest assaults against security forces in recent years.
President Gustavo Petro has blamed both attacks on FARC dissident groups who refused to participate in the 2016 peace agreement that ended decades of armed conflict. That accord, hailed as historic at the time, aimed to put an end to a war that has cost more than 450,000 lives. However, some factions opposed the deal and have continued engaging in drug trafficking and armed attacks against state forces.
Authorities have now tightened security in several regions and launched investigations into the incidents. President Petro called the attacks “a tragic reminder of the challenges that remain in achieving real peace in Colombia.”
Source: Qatar News Agency (QNA)
