Colombian military forces said Wednesday they had neutralized five alleged members of the militant group blamed for a deadly bus bombing that killed 20 civilians and injured 45 others.
According to a statement from Colombia’s military, those targeted were tied to the “Estructura Jaime Martínez,” an organized armed group that authorities say operates in the region.
The operation came in response to the April 26 attack, when an explosive device tore through a passenger bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the conflict-hit Cauca region.
Officials said the group was also linked to other criminal acts beyond the bombing in the municipality of Cajibío. Authorities accused its members of stealing vehicles on the Pan-American Highway and using drones loaded with explosives in indiscriminate attacks.
Alongside the statement, officials released video footage that appeared to show seized weapons displayed on a table. Additional images in the video seemed to show body bags placed in front of a military helicopter.
The military retaliation followed an April 26 terror attack, when an explosive device detonated on a passenger bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the volatile Cauca region.
The blast killed 15 women and five men, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Colombian troops neutralized five suspected members of the residual organized armed group Estructura Jaime Martínez. (@FuerzasMilCol/X)
While initial local reports said 36 people were injured, including several children, the Colombian military’s recent update noted that 45 civilians were wounded in the explosion.
Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s armed forces, quickly condemned the bus bombing as a “terrorist act.”
He attributed the attack to dissident factions of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), specifically pointing to the Jaime Martínez faction and the network of “Iván Mordisco,” one of the country’s most wanted figures.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights previously urged authorities to “guarantee justice for the victims.”
Officials said the suspects were accused of killing 20 people and injuring dozens more in an April terror attack. (@FuerzasMilCol/X)
Southwestern Colombia has become a battleground for illegal armed groups vying for control over coca leaf cultivation areas and crucial drug trafficking routes leading to Central America and Europe.
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