At least 14 people were killed and 38 injured, including five children, as a result of an explosion on a busy road in southwestern Colombia. This was reported by CNN, according to UNN.
Details
The explosion occurred on the Pan-American Highway in the El Túnel sector of the town of Cajibío. According to the Governor of the Cauca Department, Octavio Guzmán, the explosive device was detonated during an indiscriminate attack on civilians.
Guzmán noted that Colombia's Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts. Authorities are also initiating the convening of a national security council in connection with the incident.
The Colombian Armed Forces blamed the explosion on a group linked to former rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
It is noted that FARC officially laid down its arms in 2016 following a peace agreement with the government, which ended a conflict of more than 50 years that claimed over 220,000 lives and displaced approximately five million people. At the same time, some militants refused to join the peace process from the very beginning.