An MI-17 helicopter operated by the Colombian military tragically crashed on Monday afternoon, April 29, in a rural area of northern Colombia, resulting in the deaths of all nine soldier passengers.
The Russian-built MI-17 helicopter is typically utilized for transporting troops and supplies. At the time of the accident, it was bound for the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur. This region has recently seen Colombian troops combatting both the National Liberation Army guerrilla group and the drug-trafficking Gulf Clan, as reported by the Colombian armed forces.
The military reported that the crash happened around 1:50 in the afternoon. The fatalities included two officers, two sergeants, and three privates, although their identities have not yet been released.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro offered his sympathies via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He stated, “I regret the death of the nine passengers on board the army’s helicopter. It was supplying troops that were conducting operations against the Gulf Clan.”
Although the MI-17 helicopter is a common aircraft in military use, crashes involving this model have been reported several times this year, leading to the loss of multiple military lives.
The Gulf Clan, implicated in the operations the soldiers were supporting, is recognized as one of Colombia’s largest criminal organizations. The group, known for a violent history of murders and forced dispossession, is believed to have approximately 6,000 members and is deeply involved in a variety of illegal activities, including drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The group’s former leader, Dairo Antonio Usuga, also known as Otoniel, was sentenced in the U.S. to 45 years in prison in 2023.
The deaths of these nine soldiers represent a considerable setback in Colombia’s ongoing efforts to establish security in the region and curb the actions of illegal armed groups. Despite this, the government has pledged to persist in its operations against the Gulf Clan and similar criminal organizations.