Colombia was hit by two major attacks that left at least 13 people dead and dozens more injured.

In the western city of Cali, a vehicle bomb targeted the Marco Fidel Suarez Military Aviation School.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said that at least five people were killed and 36 were injured in the blast.

He announced a ban on large trucks entering the city amid fears of further explosions.

The attack came just weeks after three coordinated bombings on June 10 killed seven people and wounded more than 50 in the city.

The assault in Cali coincided with a separate strike in the northern department of Antioquia, where a police helicopter was downed by an explosives-laden drone.

At least eight officers were killed and eight others wounded, the government said.

President Gustavo Petro said on X that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter had been transporting personnel for coca crop eradication in Amalfi.

"We have the unfortunate news of eight police officers dead and eight injured," he wrote.

Petro initially linked the attack to the Gulf Clan, but later attributed it to the 36th Front of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Antioquia Governor Andres Julian Rendon confirmed the aircraft was providing "security to uniformed officers carrying out manual coca crop eradication work" when it was shot down.

According to officials, the attack began when dissidents opened fire on police officers engaged in an operation.

The officers called for air support, but as the helicopter arrived, it was struck by the drone, causing it to crash in the Los Toros area of Amalfi.

National Police Director Major General Carlos Fernando Triana Beltran described the downing as a "terrorist action" and said additional personnel had been deployed to treat the wounded and continue operations.

The two assaults represent a sharp escalation in violence amid the Petro government’s attempts to negotiate with armed groups and dismantle Colombia’s coca economy.