Roadside explosion kills 12 on Colombia’s Pan‑American Highway (VIDEOS)

(SeaPRwire) –   A suspected remotely detonated explosive device ripped open vehicles on the Pan-American Highway in Cauca

A powerful roadside explosion struck a bus and other vehicles on Colombia’s Pan-American Highway on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 individuals and leaving more than a dozen others injured. Authorities have characterized the incident as a terrorist attack.

The blast occurred in the El Tunel area of Cajibio, Cauca, creating a large crater on one of the nation’s key transportation routes and scattering debris across the roadway.

Footage from the scene depicts a bus that has been completely destroyed, with its engine ejected with such force that it landed on another bus. Several other vehicles traveling on the same road at the time also sustained damage.

Initial official reports indicated seven fatalities and at least 17 wounded. However, subsequent reports confirmed that several of the injured succumbed to their wounds, raising the death toll to 12. The majority of the victims were local civilians and Indigenous people traveling on the bus.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro attributed the attack to dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla movement, operating under the leadership of Ivan Mordisco. In a statement on X, Petro denounced the perpetrators as “terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers” and called for a global manhunt for what he described as a narcoterrorist organization.

The bombing took place amidst a surge of at least 26 incidents over a two-day period across southwestern Colombia. These incidents included assaults on police stations, military units, radar installations, and infrastructure.

Petro and regional officials described the violence as indicative of a broader escalation in Cauca, a region long contested by armed groups vying for control of cocaine trafficking routes, illegal mining operations, and territory.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez convened urgent security meetings and announced a reward for information that could lead to the apprehension of those responsible. Local leaders condemned the bombing as an indiscriminate assault on civilians, intended to instill widespread fear in the lead-up to Colombia’s presidential election on May 31.