Colombian police helicopter shot down during anti-narcotics mission; 10 killed

At least 10 police officers were killed and several others injured when a helicopter was attacked and crashed during an anti-narcotics operation in Colombia, according to officials.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Thursday that eight officers were killed and eight others wounded when a helicopter was shot down in Amalfi, Antioquia. Local media later reported the death toll had risen to 10.

Petro attributed the attack to the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrillas. Local media reported the helicopter may have been hit by gunfire or a drone, though officials have not confirmed either scenario.

Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez said the helicopter was attacked during an anti-narcotics operation, sparking a fire and leaving police on the ground in critical condition. Military and police units were deployed to secure the area and evacuate survivors.

“With deep sorrow, I regret the murder of our police officers and express my solidarity with their families,” Sánchez said.

National Police Director Major General Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán called the incident a “terrorist action,” saying the officers were ambushed while conducting ground-based eradication of illicit crops and that one of the institution’s aircraft was targeted.

The attack in Amalfi came the same day as a separate car bomb in the city of Cali, where six people were killed and 50 injured, according to officials.

📹Así fue derribado un helicóptero de la Policía con un dron en Amalfi, #Antioquia. El hecho, que dejó seis muertos y siete heridos, fue atribuido a las disidencias de las Farc ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SnhGyB18xt

— El Colombiano (@elcolombiano) August 21, 2025