Colombia announces anti-terrorism operation in Cali following wave of attacks in the country.

by August 23, 2025

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced the launch of "Operation Sultana," an anti-terrorism strategy designed for the city of Cali, which suffered an attack on a military base on Thursday, killing eight people and injuring nearly 80. This is the worst attack in the capital of Valle del Cauca since 2019.

"To neutralize this criminal and terrorist threat, the key is to anticipate it. From there, an even more robust comprehensive plan emerges, which is already underway, which was already being implemented, as I mentioned, with those five operations, but to which we have added one more, 'Operation Sultana,' which is focused on protecting this beautiful region from terrorism and crime," the Defense Minister stated in a press conference.

Authorities have detailed that they will strengthen their search for criminals with greater technological and intelligence capabilities and have reported substantial rewards for information leading to the capture of the Cali attack's ringleaders. These include a reward of 3.284 billion Colombian pesos (approximately 700,000 euros) for the capture of alias "Marlon," a member of the Jaime Martínez group of the FARC dissidents, whom the Colombian government blames for the crime.

Sánchez also urged the media to launch an "anti-terrorism campaign" with the aim of encouraging citizens to provide information through social media and designated phone numbers.

"It's important that the community communicate with us, and that's one of the first lines we're reinforcing with this comprehensive plan, which will be closely monitored weekly or every two weeks, whether at the regional or national level," the Colombian politician said.

The government, led by President Gustavo Petro, will also improve its defense capacity against attacks carried out by unmanned vehicles.

In recent days, Colombia has suffered several large-scale attacks. In addition to the one in Cali, a military helicopter was shot down this Thursday in the northwestern department of Antioquia, leaving thirteen police officers dead.

As part of the fight against terrorism, Colombian authorities announced this Friday the arrest of the brother of the leader of the defunct FARC dissident group, alias "Iván Mordisco," who is accused of serving as head of finance and logistics for the dissident group's drug trafficking activities.

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