Colombian Military Strikes Back Against Armed Group
On Wednesday, Colombian military forces announced they have successfully taken down five members of a militant group linked to a tragic bus bombing that killed 20 people and injured 45 others.
According to a statement from the Colombian Military Forces, these individuals were part of the “Estructura Jaime Martínez,” a known armed group. Besides the bombing in Cajibío, authorities say this group has also been involved in vehicle thefts along the Pan-American Highway and launching drones filled with explosives.
The military’s actions were a direct response to an April 26 incident. An explosive device went off on a passenger bus on the Pan-American Highway in the troubled Cauca region. Initial reports indicated that 36 people were hurt, including children, though the military later confirmed that 45 civilians were affected.
General Hugo López, leader of Colombia’s armed forces, condemned the bus bombing as a “terrorist act.” He pointed fingers at dissident factions of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), particularly the Jaime Martínez faction, which operates under a network led by Iván Mordisco, one of the country’s most wanted individuals.
A video shared by officials displayed body bags laid out near a military helicopter and a range of seized weapons. The Colombian military remains determined to combat such acts of violence, which have escalated in southwest Colombia, a region contaminated by illegal armed groups competing for control of coca leaf cultivation and drug trafficking routes to Central America and Europe.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights has urged Colombian authorities to ensure justice for the victims of this terrorism.
