Colombia bus bomb attack in Cauca kills 13 on Panamerican Highway near Cajibio

An explosive device struck a bus in southwestern Colombia on Saturday. Thirteen people died and at least 38 others were injured. Colombias army chief called the incident a terrorist act. Officials said violence tied to drug trafficking was rising in the region. The blast happened as armed groups fought for influence across key routes.

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Octavio Guzman, the governor of the region of Cauca, said on X that the device detonated as the bus used the Panamerican Highway. The incident occurred in the municipality of Cajibio. Five children were among the injured, Cauca Health Secretary Carolina Camargo told Noticias Caracol. Authorities said the victims were travelling when the blast hit.

Colombia bus attack: security response and officials meetings

The escalation pushed senior officials to act on Saturday. A delegation was meeting in Palmira when the deadly explosion occurred. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez led the group, along with governors and local leaders. Sanchez later warned the state would respond strongly. "These criminals seek to instill fear, but we will respond with firmness,\" Sanchez said on X.

Francisca Toro, governor of Valle del Cauca, urged the national government to send quick support. Toro asked for more public security forces in the area. Toro also called for stronger intelligence work and firm action against crime. Toro said the region faced what Toro described as a terrorist-level rise in violence.

Colombia bus attack: alleged perpetrators and rejected peace deal

Gen. Hugo Lopez, commander of Colombias Armed Forces, spoke at a news conference. Lopez said it was a terrorist act and blamed the network of a man known as Ivan Mordisco. Lopez also pointed to the Jaime Martinez faction. Both groups are dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operating there.

Authorities said neither Ivan Mordisco nor the Jaime Martinez faction follows the peace agreement signed in 2016. Officials linked the groups to ongoing violence in Cauca. The region has long faced pressure from armed factions. The state says such groups use fear and attacks to defend territory and criminal income sources.

Colombia bus attack: President Gustavo Petro condemnation

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack on X. \"Those who carried out the attack and killed seven civilians - and wounded 17 others - in Cajibio - many of them Indigenous people - are terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers,\" Petro wrote. The statement came as officials reviewed other recent incidents in the area.

Colombia bus attack: surge in explosions across southwest

Lopez said the bus bombing came during a wider wave of explosions. At least 26 incidents occurred in the past two days in southwestern Colombia. Lopez said the attacks had only affected civilians. Officials said the latest incidents appeared aimed at public infrastructure. Several attacks caused damage but did not always injure people.

Authorities reported a shooting at a police station in rural Jamundi. Another attack targeted a Civil Aviation radar facility in El Tambo. Officials said three explosives-laden drones were taken down earlier on Saturday. No one was hurt in that event. The incidents added to concerns over security in nearby districts.

On Friday, officials said two vehicles packed with explosives were set off near military units. The blasts occurred in Cali and Palmira. Authorities reported material damage from those detonations. Local leaders said the attacks were part of a widening pattern. Security forces continued checks around suspected targets after the incidents.

Colombia bus attack: drug trafficking routes and rewards

Authorities said Cauca and Valle del Cauca are central to illegal armed group activity. Officials linked the conflict to routes reaching the port of Buenaventura. They said the port served as a key transit point for drugs sent to Central America and Europe. Armed groups were said to compete for sea and river access.

The government offered a reward of more than 1 million dollars for information leading to the capture of Marlon. Authorities identified Marlon as the leader of the regions dissident group. On Friday, local authorities offered more than USD 14,000 for information on those behind the Cali and Palmira attacks. Investigations continued after Saturdays blast.

With inputs from PTI