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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) \u2014 An attack on a Colombian police helicopter killed at least eight police officers on Thursday, according to President Gustavo Petro<\/a>, who attributed it to dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Petro said on X that the helicopter was transporting personnel to an area in Antioquia, in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Antioquia Gov. Andr\u00e9s Juli\u00e1n said on the same social media platform that a drone attacked the helicopter as it flew over coca leaf crops. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said that preliminary information indicates the attack caused a fire in the aircraft.<\/p>\n Authorities did not immediately provide details of the conditions of the eight people who were injured in the attack.<\/p>\n Petro initially blamed the Gulf Clan<\/a>, the country’s largest active drug cartel, for the attack. He asserted that the helicopter was targeted in retaliation for a cocaine seizure that allegedly belonged to the group.<\/p>\n FARC dissidents, who rejected a peace agreement with the government in 2016, and members of the Gulf Clan operate in Antioquia.<\/p>\n Coca leaf cultivation is on the rise in Colombia. The area under cultivation reached a record 253,000 hectares in 2023, according to the latest report available from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.<\/p>\n Also on Thursday, authorities in the southwest city of Cali reported that a vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near a military aviation school, killing 5 people and injuring more than 30 others. The Colombian Aerospace Force did not immediately provide details of the explosion, which Petro also attributed to FARC dissidents.<\/p>\n ____<\/p>\n Follow AP\u2019s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/latin-america<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n