Colombian Military Neutralizes Militant Group Members After Bus Bombing
On Wednesday, Colombian military forces announced they had successfully neutralized five members of a militant group responsible for a tragic bus bombing. The attack had killed 20 civilians and injured 45 others. According to the Military Forces of Colombia, the neutralized individuals were affiliated with the “Estructura Jaime Martínez,” an organized armed group.
This group was involved not only in planting explosives in the Cajibío municipality but also in other criminal activities. These included stealing vehicles on the Pan-American Highway and using drones loaded with explosives. Officials shared a video showing various weapons displayed on a table, providing visual evidence of the retrieved arms.
The swift military action followed the April 26 bus bombing along the Pan-American Highway in the unstable Cauca region. The explosion claimed 15 female and five male lives, as reported by The Associated Press.
The Colombian troops targeted the suspected members of the residual group known as Estructura Jaime Martínez. A video accompanying their statement showed numerous body bags near a military helicopter, highlighting the aftermath.
Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s armed forces, condemned the incident as a “terrorist act.” He linked the attack to dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), specifically the Jaime Martínez faction, and the network of “Iván Mordisco,” a notorious figure.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights has previously called for guaranteed justice for the victims. Military officials accused the detained suspects of causing the death of 20 people and injuring many others in the April attack.
Southwestern Colombia remains a focal point of conflict for illegal armed groups vying for control over coca leaf cultivation areas and key drug trafficking routes that lead to Central America and Europe.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reporting by Fox News Digital journalist Alexandra Koch, who focuses on high-impact events that influence national discourse. Her coverage includes the L.A. wildfires, aviation incidents on the Potomac and Hudson Rivers, the Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.