At least seven people have been killed and more than 20 injured after a bomb was detonated on a busy motorway in Colombia in what authorities have condemned as a terrorist attack on the civilian population.
The explosion struck the Pan-American Highway in the El Túnel sector of Cajibío, in the Cauca region of southwest Colombia, when terrorists allegedly launched a cylinder packed with explosives at a passenger bus. The blast tore a large crater into the road and destroyed several surrounding vehicles, with harrowing footage shared by authorities showing debris scattered across the highway, badly damaged vans and at least one vehicle overturned in a roadside ditch.
Cauca Governor Octavio Guzmán confirmed the casualties and described the attack as “an indiscriminate attack against the civilian population.” Speaking after the explosion, he said: “It is a tragedy that tears us apart as a department and deeply saddens our families. There are not enough words for the pain we feel today. This is a direct offensive against life, against a defenceless people. We will not allow violence to continue imposing fear and challenging the state.”
The Colombian Army has blamed the attack on a FARC dissident group led by Iván Mordisco, one of the country’s most wanted individuals. Cauca has experienced two similar attacks in recent weeks, both on the Pan-American Highway, though those incidents resulted in no casualties.
FARC, which fought the Colombian state for more than five decades, signed a landmark peace agreement with the government in 2016. However, several factions refused to disarm and broke away from the process, continuing armed operations across rural areas of the country — with Cauca remaining one of the most volatile regions.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez Suárez is chairing an emergency security council meeting in Cali in response to the attack. The investigation is ongoing.
