(VIDEO) Colombia Terror Attack Destroys Highway, Civilians Among 12 Fatal Victims

At least twelve people were killed and more than a dozen others injured after an explosive device detonated today, Saturday April 25, on Colombia's Pan-American Highway in the southwestern department of Cauca, according to Colombian authorities and multiple local media reports.

The attack took place in the municipality of Cajibío, in a sector known as El Túnel, when a cylinder bomb was launched or detonated near a bus traveling along the highway, one of the country's most important transport corridors, Colombian media outlet Radio Caracol informed. Initially there were seven deaths, but five more of the at least 20 people injured died in the following hours after the attack.

Authorities described the explosion as an "indiscriminate attack against the civilian population," with several vehicles destroyed and the roadway severely damaged. The blast left a crater in the highway and forced a complete shutdown of traffic between Cali and Popayán.

The governor of Cauca, Octavio Guzmán, confirmed the preliminary toll of seven dead and at least 17 injured, calling the incident "a tragedy that deeply mourns our families."

Colombian President Gustavo Petro blamed the attack on dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group, specifically units operating under the command structure of Iván Mordisco. Petro described the perpetrators as "terrorists" linked to drug trafficking networks.

Military officials and local authorities said the bombing is part of a broader escalation of violence in southwest Colombia. In the past 48 hours, the region has experienced multiple attacks, including car bombs, explosions near military facilities, and assaults on infrastructure in cities such as Cali and Palmira.

Cauca remains one of Colombia's most volatile regions, where armed groups compete for control of drug trafficking routes and illegal economies. The Pan-American Highway, which connects southern Colombia with the rest of the country, is frequently targeted because of its strategic importance.

Local officials and witnesses said many of the victims were civilians traveling through the area, including passengers on public transportation. The use of a cylinder bomb, a tactic historically associated with guerrilla warfare, raised concerns about a return to methods widely used during the peak of Colombia's internal conflict.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez convened emergency security meetings following the attack and announced a reward for information leading to those responsible.

The bombing comes at a sensitive political moment, as Colombia moves through an election cycle and faces renewed security challenges despite the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, according to the initials in Spanish.) While thousands of fighters demobilized under that accord, several dissident groups refused to disarm and have since expanded operations in rural areas.

For residents of Cauca, the attack underscores a worsening security crisis. What was once a region cautiously transitioning toward peace is again seeing violence spill onto highways and into civilian life, with armed groups demonstrating both capability and intent to strike beyond traditional military targets.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out additional arrests or further attacks as security forces increase their presence in the region.