Car bomb kills 2, injures several in southwest Colombia

BOGOTA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and several others injured in a car bomb attack on a police station in southwest Colombia, authorities confirmed on Monday.

"We have reports of two people dead and several injured. It's a situation that has overwhelmed our local capacity," Cesar Ceron, mayor of the municipality of Suarez, located in Colombia's southwestern Cauca department, told W Radio.

He added that the victims were inside a hotel near the police station when one of the explosive devices hit the building. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the attack and blamed dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"This cowardly act reflects the desperation of a criminal structure that is losing territorial control and seeing its illicit finances from drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion severely weakened due to ongoing military and police pressure," Sanchez wrote on social platform X.

The minister said he is meeting with local officials and military commanders to coordinate stronger security measures in Cauca, as well as in the neighboring regions of Valle del Cauca and Narino.

He also announced a reward of up to 200 million Colombian pesos (52,000 U.S. dollars) for information that could help prevent further attacks.

According to Sanchez, Colombian security forces have neutralized 724 members of illegal armed groups in 2025 so far, up by 23 percent from the previous year. In Cauca, six of the seven most-wanted armed leaders have been neutralized or surrendered.

The Attorney General's Office also condemned the attack and urged swift investigations to bring those responsible to justice. Suarez has been one of the municipalities most affected by Colombia's ongoing conflict, particularly by FARC dissident groups in recent years. ■