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At least seven people were killed, and more than 20 people sustained serious injuries after a bomb exploded on a bus in Colombia's Cauca, in what the governor described as a deadly attack targeting civilians.
The explosion occurred on the Pan-American Highway in the El Tunel sector of Cajibio on Saturday. Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman confirmed the casualties in a post on X, calling the incident an "indiscriminate attack against the civilian population." He said, "An explosive device was detonated on the Pan-American Highway, in the El Tunel sector of Cajibio, in an indiscriminate attack against the civilian population that--according to preliminary reports--has left 7 civilians dead and more than 20 seriously injured. This is a tragedy that tears at the very fabric of our department and plunges our families into deep mourning. No words are sufficient to express the pain we feel today." https://x.com/OctavioGuzmanGu/status/2048111938144764141 Guzman warned of a worsening security situation in the region, describing the incident as part of a broader escalation of violence. "Cauca cannot continue to face this barbarism alone. We are confronting a terrorist escalation that demands immediate responses. We demand that the National Government take forceful, sustained, and effective action in the face of the grave public order crisis we are enduring, and we further demand the urgent presence of the Ministry of Defence here in Cauca," he said. The governor also highlighted the strain on local infrastructure, noting that the hospital network is operating at full capacity while uncertainty continues along the key highway corridor. "As the Departmental Government, we are responding to this emergency with the full extent of our institutional capacity. Our hospital network is stretched to its limit, the status of the Pan-American Highway remains uncertain, and our Public Forces remain at the forefront of the situation, confronting this criminal onslaught," he added. According to Guzman, multiple violent incidents have been reported in recent hours across several areas, including El Tunel, El Tambo, Caloto, Popayan, Guachene, Mercaderes, and Miranda, pointing to a coordinated wave of attacks. He described the violence as "a direct offensive against life", targeting defenceless civilians. Authorities have convened an emergency security council and called for the urgent presence of national defence officials in Cauca. "We will not allow the violent to continue imposing fear and challenging the State," Guzman said, emphasising that regional authorities are responding with all available resources. (ANI)
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