Death toll in Colombia bus bombing rises to 20

The death toll from a bombing in a volatile region of southwestern Colombia has risen to 20, officials said on Sunday, following an attack that targeted a bus travelling along a major highway, per foreign media.

The explosion occurred on Saturday, April 24, in the municipality of Cajibío, when an explosive device detonated on a bus moving along the Pan-American Highway. According to Cauca Governor Octavio Guzmán, the victims include 15 women and five men.

Guzmán said in a post on X that 36 other people were injured in the attack, three of whom remain in intensive care. He added that five of the injured are minors who are expected to recover.

Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine said that teams of specialists, including dentists, anthropologists and forensic doctors, are working to identify the victims.

The bombing is the latest in a wave of attacks in the region, where more than two dozen incidents have been reported over the past three days in southwestern Colombia. The area is known for the presence of illegal armed groups competing for control of coca leaf cultivation zones, as well as key sea and river routes used for drug trafficking operations to Central America and Europe.

Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia's Armed Forces, described the incident as a "terrorist act" and attributed it to the network of a man known as "Iván Mordisco" — one of the country’s most wanted figures — along with the Jaime Martínez faction. Both groups are dissident elements of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and remain active in the region.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks against civilians and called on authorities to investigate the incidents and "guarantee justice for the victims."

In response to the tragedy, Guzmán declared three days of mourning beginning Sunday, April 26, in honour of those killed.

By Tamilla Hasanova