BOGOTÁ, Colombia: Nine Colombian soldiers died when their helicopter crashed on Monday in the northern Bolivar department, where the military is fighting the biggest cocaine cartel, said the authorities.
The crash occurred as the helicopter was delivering new troops for operations against the Gulf Clan, President Gustavo Petro told the nation via a message on X.
Neither military not the president mentioned the cause of the crash of the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter or whether the Clan, with some 4,000 armed fighters, had anything to do with it.
The army said there were no survivors.
