A helicopter carrying Colombian President Ivan Duque and other senior ministers has been attacked.
President Ivan Duque and the attacking helicopter (AFP)
Indiscriminate bullets were fired at the helicopter of Colombian President Ivan Duque. He narrowly survived this attack. The president said on Friday that a helicopter carrying him and several senior officials was attacked in the southern Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela. This is a rare case of directly attacking the President’s ship.
President Duque said everyone aboard the helicopter was safe. Defense Minister Diego Molano, Interior Minister Daniel Palacios and Norte de Santander State Governor Silvano Serrano were on board the helicopter. These people were returning after taking part in a program. “I would like to inform the nation that after attending an event in Sardinata, a helicopter was struck near the city of Cicuta in Catatumbo,” the president said in a statement.
Who did the attack, it is not clear yet
The President of Colombia said, the equipment and capability of the helicopter saved all of us in this dangerous attack. A video released by the President’s Office shows several shots at a Colombian Air Force helicopter. Duke did not give information about when the attack was carried out and who carried out it. But many armed groups are active in this area.
Colombia strong in tackling crime: President
President Duque said this cowardly attack would not stop him from fighting drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime. He said that the message is that Colombia has always been strong in tackling crime and our institutions are above any threat. The city of Sikuta is already on high alert, as a military base in the area was attacked on June 14, injuring 36 people.
The hand of these people in the attack on the military base
Colombian officials have not confirmed who was behind the attack on the military base, but have said they suspect Colombian guerrillas or the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of the rebel National Liberation Army. In 2018, when the conservative Duke began his presidential term, the government said it was investigating a plan for possible attacks against the president at a public event. However, these attacks never materialised.
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