Helicopter carrying Colombia’s president attacked

Bullet holes are seen on the fuselage of a Colombian Air Force helicopter that was fired upon while carrying Colombia’s President Ivan Duque and members of his cabinet (Cesar Carrion/Presidency of Colombia/AP)

Colombian President Iván Duque has said a helicopter carrying him and several senior officials came under fire in the southern Catatumbo region bordering Venezuela, in a rare instance of a direct attack on a presidential aircraft.

Mr Duque said everyone on board the helicopter was safe, including himself, Defence Minister Diego Molano, Interior Minister Daniel Palacios and the governor of Norte de Santander state, Silvano Serrano. They had just attended an event titled Peace with Legality, the Sustainable Catatumbo chapter.