Colombia bus bombing kills 20 on Pan-American Highway

An explosive device on a bus killed seven people Saturday in southwest Colombia, according to authorities. The death toll in a weekend highway bombing in Colombia has risen to 20, with another 36 people injured, according to local officials. The device was activated while the bus was traveling along the Panamerican Highway in Cajibio, Cauca Governor Octavio Guzmán said. The bombing occurred on the Pan-American Highway in the Cauca department, according to multiple reports. The explosion injured more than 17 people, according to authorities. The bombing left a crater 200 cubic metres in size, according to multiple reports. Several cars were flipped over by the force of the explosion, according to multiple reports. Fifteen women and five men, all adults, were killed, Guzmán said. Of the injured, three people remained in intensive care, according to major media reports. Five children were also injured but were 'out of danger', according to major media reports. The attack in Cauca was an 'indiscriminate attack' against the civilian population, Guzmán said.

General Hugo López described the attack as a 'terrorist act', according to multiple reports. The attack is blamed on networks of Iván Mordisco and the Jaime Martínez faction, according to General Hugo López. The attack is blamed on Iván Mordisco, according to Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Both groups are dissident factions of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that did not adhere to the 2016 peace agreement, according to multiple reports. President Gustavo Petro decried the attack on X, calling the perpetrators 'terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers', according to multiple reports. The government has also blamed the attacks on the Jaime Martínez faction, according to multiple reports. The army has intelligence linking the attacks to the leader of the guerrilla group Estado Mayor Central, according to the Colombian Army. Estado Mayor Central has not claimed responsibility for the attack, according to research by multiple sources. President Petro specifically blamed a drug trafficker and FARC dissident leader known by the alias Iván Mordisco for the deadly explosion, according to multiple reports.

At least 26 criminal incidents have taken place in the past two days in southwest Colombia, General Hugo López said. No one was injured in the previous assaults, according to major media reports. A bomb attack on Friday on a military base in Cali injured two people, according to multiple reports. Two vehicles rigged with explosives were detonated near military units in Cali and Palmira, causing material damage, according to multiple reports. The attacks included car bombings, firearm attacks, and launching of explosive devices, with more than 20 terrorist attacks reported by Colombia's national police. At least two police officers were among those killed, police said. In Cali, three explosive devices were detonated near police stations, Mayor Alejandro Eder said. The defense ministry said military forces prevented six attacks and captured two people preparing explosives. The bomb exploded after assailants stopped traffic by blocking the road with a bus and another vehicle, General Hugo López said. Authorities have boosted military and police presence in the areas, defence minister Pedro Sánchez said. The attack occurred just over one month before national elections, according to multiple reports. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez led a delegation of high-ranking officials meeting in Palmira when the deadly explosion occurred, according to multiple reports.

Cauca and Valle del Cauca serve as a critical hub for illicit activities of illegal armed groups vying for control over routes to the port of Buenaventura, according to authorities. Francisca Toro, governor of Valle del Cauca, called for 'immediate support' and reinforcement of public security forces, according to multiple reports. The attacks on Friday were attributed to criminal groups formed by dissident members of the FARC rebel group, according to research by multiple sources. August 2025 saw the 100th killing of a social activist and 30th killing of a former FARC guerrilla in the peace process, according to research by three sources. The number of massacres (attacks killing at least three people) increased significantly in 2025, according to multiple reports. On 1 August 2025, three people were killed in Colombia's 41st documented massacre of 2025 in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, according to multiple reports. On 6 August 2025, social activist Ruhal Martínez was killed in Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, according to the INDEPAZ human rights NGO. On 6 August 2025, the bodies of three people were found in Consacá, Nariño, according to multiple reports. On 7 August 2025, social activist Brayan Saa was murdered in Dagua, Valle del Cauca, according to multiple reports. On 7 August 2025, four men and one woman were found dead in Santa Bárbara, Antioquia, apparent victims of a local criminal organization, according to multiple reports. On 10 August 2025, armed assailants killed Blanca Nelly Osorio and her grandson Yefrin Andrés Herrera in Pereira, Risaralda, according to multiple reports.