PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   Officials confirmed on Sunday that the death toll from a bombing in an unstable area of southwestern Colombia has increased to 20.

According to Cauca regional governor Octavio Guzmán, the assault occurred Saturday after an explosive was set off on a bus on the Pan-American Highway in Cajibio. The victims include 15 women and five men.

In a post on X, Guzmán stated that 36 other people were wounded, with three in intensive care. He added that five of those injured are children who are anticipated to make a full recovery.

Specialists such as dentists, anthropologists, and forensic doctors from Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine are working to identify the deceased.

This bombing marks the most recent in a series of assaults in the area, where over two dozen incidents have been recorded in the last three days. Illegal armed groups, which compete for dominance over coca farming zones and key drug trafficking routes to Central America and Europe, are active in the region.

Colombia’s armed forces commander, Gen. Hugo López, characterized the event as a “terrorist act.” He attributed the attack to the network of “Iván Mordisco”—a top wanted individual in Colombia—and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are splinter groups of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) operating locally.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights denounced the attacks on civilians and urged authorities to probe the events and “ensure justice for the victims.”

On Sunday, Guzmán announced a three-day mourning period to honor the victims.