At least 18 people were killed and more than 70 others injured in two major attacks in Colombia on Thursday, blamed on dissident factions of the former FARC rebel group.

In Cali, a car packed with explosives detonated near a military aviation school, killing six and injuring 71, according to the mayor’s office.

Earlier the same day, a National Police Black Hawk helicopter was brought down by a drone during a coca eradication mission in Amalfi, Antioquia, leaving 12 police officers dead.

President Gustavo Petro said the helicopter attack happened while police were being transported to destroy coca crops, which are used to produce cocaine. Local officials confirmed the chopper was hit by a drone over coca fields and caught fire.

Petro first blamed the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s biggest active drug cartel, suggesting it was retaliation for a cocaine seizure. Later, he linked the Cali car bomb to the EMC (Estado Mayor Central), a federation of FARC dissidents aligned with drug traffickers. Police detained one suspect.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said investigations are ongoing.

FARC dissidents and the Gulf Clan both operate in Antioquia, fueling violence in the region. Petro has now called for these groups to be designated as “terrorists” to be pursued internationally.

Meanwhile, coca cultivation in Colombia is climbing. The UN says it hit a record 253,000 hectares in 2023 — the largest area under cultivation ever recorded in the country.