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Bombing on Colombian Highway Kills 14, Authorities Blame FARC Dissidents
A bombing on a highway in Colombia's southern Cauca region killed at least 14 people and injured dozens, including minors. Authorities attributed the attack to guerrilla insurgents linked to dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The incident occurred amid smaller attacks in the area ahead of the country's presidential election on May 31.
Apr 25, 8:28 PM·1m read1 source
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A bombing struck a highway in Colombia's southern Cauca region, killing at least 14 people and seriously injuring dozens, including minors. Authorities linked the attack to guerrilla insurgents. Videos from the scene showed damaged vehicles and debris strewn across the road.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro blamed the attack on rebels linked to dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). Petro stated on X: 'Those who carried out this attack... ' Local Governor Octavio Guzman posted a video on X showing upturned vehicles and craters along the highway in Cauca.
' Witnesses reported to AFP news agency that the blast knocked them back several meters. Smaller attacks have been reported in Cauca since Friday. One such attack targeted a military base in the city of Cali and injured two people.
Defence Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez said a bus filled with explosives failed to detonate earlier in the day in the Cauca region. Sánchez stated the failed detonation was carried out by members of a drug-trafficking cartel. The latest attacks come one month before Colombia's presidential election on 31 May.
' Petro, himself a former guerrilla fighter, has been pursuing a controversial peace strategy with various armed factions which has seen intermittent ceasefires and periods of relatively little violence. Members of Farc who initially rejected the 2016 peace deal have attempted to stall negotiations with Petro's government over recent years. His term will end later this year.
