3 people have been killed and a further 8 injured in an explosive attack in Tibu, Colombia. Two uniformed men and a civilian woman have been confirmed as the victims. An explosive detonated to the side of an on patrol police car, killing the officers on patrol.
Footage began circulation of the explosion – see below. The police car is hit by an explosive to the side of the road before spinning and crashing into a bus.
Este es el momento que una bomba estalló al paso de una patrulla en un camino de Tibú, en Santander, Colombia. Confirman al menos tres muertos. Por ahora no se sabe qué grupo es responsable. #AhoraMás con @UrielEstradaTV pic.twitter.com/gwahjzPf9V
— Ahora Más (@ahoramasoficial) May 25, 2023
Tibu is a municipality in the state of Norte de Santander a region with a significant amount of coca cultivation. The region has a strong presence of both the ELN and the FARC dissidents, a group of ex-FARC members who rejected the 2016 peace deal. Both of these left-wing guerrilla groups are involved in the cocaine trade. There have been no reports on who conducted the attack. However, police are offering a $45,000 reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the attack.
This comes just days after Colombian President Petro suspended the government’s ceasefire with another faction of FARC dissidents in a different region of Colombia. Despite this, Petro is conducting peace talks currently with the ELN in Havana and seeks peace talks with the Iván Mordisco faction of the FARC dissidents which is present in Norte de Santander.
Images of the aftermath.
