Death Toll From Bus Bombing In Southwestern Colombia Rises To 20 During A Wave Of Violence

BOGOTA, Colombia — The number of group killed successful a bombing successful a volatile region successful southwestern Colombia roseate to 20, officials said Sunday.

The onslaught happened Saturday erstwhile an explosive instrumentality was detonated connected a autobus walking on nan Pan-American Highway successful nan municipality of Cajibio. So far, 15 women and 5 men are among nan victims, according to Octavio Guzmán, politician of nan region of Cauca.

He wrote connected X that nan onslaught injured 36 others, 3 of whom are successful intensive care. Five of nan injured are minors, who are expected to recover, Guzmán said.

Guzmán declared 3 days of mourning starting Sunday.

Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences said specialists including dentists, anthropologists and forensic doctors are identifying nan victims.

The bombing is nan latest onslaught successful nan region, pinch much than 2 twelve incidents reported successful nan past 3 days successful southwestern Colombia. The region is location to equipped groups who vie for power of coca leafage cultivation areas and for oversea and stream entree routes to tally supplier trafficking operations to Central America and Europe.

Gen. Hugo López, commandant of Colombia’s equipped forces, has described nan incident arsenic a violent act. He blamed it connected abstracted networks tally by Iván Mordisco — 1 of Colombia’s astir wanted figures — and Jaime Martínez. Mordisco and Martínez are dissidents from nan now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, aliases FARC, who run successful nan region.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned nan attacks against nan civilian organization and called connected authorities to analyse nan incidents and “guarantee justness for nan victims.”