At least 20 killed in Colombia highway explosion

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has attributed the deadly highway bombing in southwestern Colombia to a “narco-terrorist group” led by former FARC fighter Nestor Vera, also known as Ivan Mordisco.

According to Governor Octavio Guzman of the Cauca region, at least 20 people have been killed in the attack, with 15 women and five men among the victims. Thirty-six people were injured, including three who remain hospitalized in intensive care and five minors who are no longer considered in danger.

The explosion occurred near a tunnel on the Pan-American Highway, and a dozen of the victims came from a village near Cajibio town, where hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their respects. The mourners wore white clothing and waved white sheets or balloons as a sign of peace.

President Petro has identified Ivan Mordisco’s group as responsible for the attack, which is one of the deadliest in Colombia since the FARC blew up a Bogota nightclub in 2003, killing 36 people. The bombing occurred just over a month before national elections, where voters will choose a successor to President Gustavo Petro.

The May 31 presidential election is expected to focus on security issues, with a recent arrest of a suspect linked to the assassination of young conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay in June.

Source: Al Jazeera