Colombia Deploys Extensive Military Presence After Deadly Attacks That Left 18 People Dead

Colombia experienced a wave of deadly violence on Thursday following two separate attacks carried out by armed groups, resulting in at least 18 deaths and dozens of injuries, in an incident that highlights the escalating violence that has persisted for decades in the country.

The attacks occurred in the city of Cali in the southwest of the country and in a coca farm area in the northwest, posing a new challenge to the fragile peace process ahead of the elections scheduled for next year.

In detail, a car bomb exploded on Thursday afternoon near an airbase in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, killing at least six people and injuring 60 others, according to local authorities.

Cali's mayor, Alejandro Eder, described the incident as a "drug-related terrorist attack" and called for an increased deployment of security forces in the city.

For his part, Colombian President Gustavo Petro commented on the incident via the platform "X", stating: "We are facing an international mafia with armed gangs," adding that "the blow to the people of Cali was undoubtedly deep, brutal, and terrifying".

The commander of the armed forces, General Hugo Lopez, announced that "aircraft from the air force... are conducting reconnaissance and surveillance missions in the area" surrounding the targeted base, noting that the army has "deployed all its forces" and reinforced its presence with artillery and air operations.

For its part, the public prosecutor's office reported the arrest of two men "suspected of participating in the bombing" at the site.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez blamed the "EMC" armed faction, which split from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), for the attack, describing it as an "unjustified terrorist attack... against the civilian population in Cali".

Sanchez stated: "This cowardly attack on civilians is a desperate reaction to the loss of control over drug trafficking" in the region.

In a separate attack on Thursday morning, about 150 kilometers from Medellin, clashes and a drone attack targeting a helicopter supporting anti-drug operations resulted in a significant number of casualties.

The governor of Antioquia (northwest), Andres Julian Rendon, reported on Thursday evening that the death toll had risen from eight to 12 police officers.

The French news agency quoted a police official as saying that the attackers "harassed" a group of individuals tasked with eradicating coca crops.

This attack was attributed to the "Calarca" gang, which emerged from the "EMC" group.

President Petro, who is seeking to mediate peace agreements with most armed groups in Colombia, commented on the second attack saying via "X": "Colombian authorities seized one and a half tons of cocaine from the Clan del Golfo, and their response was to shoot down a police helicopter".