Colombian Police Helicopter Shot Down in Antioquia, 8 Officers Killed

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Bogotá, Colombia – August 21, 2025 — A Colombian National Police helicopter was shot down on Thursday during an anti-narcotics mission in Amalfi, Antioquia, leaving at least eight officers dead and several others injured, President Gustavo Petro confirmed.

The helicopter was deployed to support manual coca eradication operations when it was targeted. Antioquia Governor Andrés Julián Rendón released a video on X showing the aircraft moments before it crashed into a hillside.

In his initial remarks, President Petro suggested the powerful Gulf Clan drug cartel may have orchestrated the attack in retaliation for the recent seizure of 1.5 tons of cocaine in Urabá. Later, he pointed to the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) — dissidents of the disbanded FARC guerrilla movement.

National Police Director Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán denounced the assault as a “terrorist attack” and confirmed that police units were deployed to treat the wounded and secure the area.

Governor Rendón stated that the aircraft may have been struck by a drone and stressed that both FARC dissidents and the ELN (National Liberation Army) remain active in the region.

> “These are FARC dissidents allied with the ELN. Coordination within the national government is urgent — this is a matter of life and death,” Rendón emphasized.

The attack underscores the challenges facing Colombia’s “Total Peace” initiative, which seeks dialogue with armed factions while combating organized crime. Security experts warn that drug cartels and guerrilla dissidents remain a significant threat in areas tied to the narcotics trade.

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