A series of coordinated bombings and armed attacks have swept across the southwest of Colombia, resulting in at least seven deaths and dozens of injuries. The attacks, which officials have determined to be a major escalation of violence, targeted the third-largest city in the country, Cali, as well as several towns in the vicinity.
The local media and Colombian authorities reported the use of car bombs, motorcycle bombs, and even an alleged drone in the attacks.
The Colombian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a total of 19 attacks were carried out on Tuesday across several areas, including Cauca and Valle del Cauca, describing the violence orchestrated by illegal armed groups as a response to the strengthened military and police operations in the area that have “devastated their illicit structures and economies.”
Various locations, such as police stations, municipal buildings, and civilian areas, were targeted, with two police officers among the deceased victims. The explosions in Cali were focused on neighborhoods like Meléndez, Manuela Beltran, and Los Mangos, with at least one bomb having been reportedly planted on a motorcycle.
According to officials, the count of injuries tolls up to at least 50 across the southwest region.
The attack also comes mere days after the attempted assassination of Miguel Uribe Tubay—a presidential candidate—who was targeted as he was addressing his supporters in the city of Bogota. Uribe was shot at close range (twice in the head) and remains in the hospital in critical condition.
An alleged hitman who had been arrested at the scene had denied all charges, pleading not guilty to the charges leveled against him on Tuesday, according to the Attorney General’s office. The charges denied by the 15-year-old suspect also reportedly included attempted murder and the illegal possession of a firearm.
The Colombian Army has attributed the attacks carried out on Tuesday to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The attacks also coincide with the due arrival of President Gustavo Petro in Cali, who was set to take part in a public demonstration that had been organized by labor unions to support the labor reform that had been proposed by him.
