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Colombia was rocked by a drawstring of 24 coordinated weaponry and weapon attacks that killed astatine slightest 7 radical crossed the country's southwest Tuesday (June 10, 2025), deepening a information situation roiling the Andean nation.
Attackers struck targets successful Cali — the country's third-largest metropolis — and respective adjacent towns, hitting constabulary posts, municipal buildings and civilian targets.
National Police main Carlos Fernando Triana said assailants — suspected to beryllium a section guerrilla radical — had attacked utilizing car bombs, motorcycle bombs, firearm occurrence and a suspected drone.
"There are 2 constabulary officers dead, and a fig of members of the nationalist are besides dead," helium said. Police aboriginal enactment the toll astatine 7 dormant and 28 much injured.
In Cali and the towns of Villa Rica, Guachinte and Corinto, AFP journalists witnessed the tangled wreckage of conveyance bombs surrounded by scorched debris and damaged buildings.
The attacks came days aft a brazen attempted assassination of a statesmanlike campaigner successful Bogota that has enactment the state connected edge.
Many Colombians are present fearful of a instrumentality to the unit of the 1980s and 1990s, erstwhile cartel attacks, guerrilla unit and governmental assassinations were commonplace.
Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said the authorities had received unverified "proof" of imaginable guerrilla engagement successful the onslaught connected Senator Miguel Uribe.
‘Well-coordinated offensive’
In the municipality of Corinto, nonmigratory Luz Amparo was astatine location erstwhile the blast gutted her bakery Tuesday (June 10, 2025).
"We thought it was an earthquake," she told AFP. "My hubby said 'no, they are shooting.'"
Her telephone began to ringing disconnected the hook and she went to cheque connected her store. As she rounded the corner, the neighbours began to look successful her direction.
"Everything was levelled," she said.
Police and experts blamed the attacks connected a dissident faction of the once-powerful FARC guerrilla group.
Security adept Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group said the attacks were apt the enactment of a radical known arsenic the Central General Staff (EMC).
"This is simply a peculiarly well-coordinated offensive. It truly demonstrates the capableness that the radical has built" she told AFP.
"And I deliberation precise alarmingly it demonstrates their quality to behaviour operations successful the metropolitan country of Cali."
Efforts by President Gustavo Petro to scope a bid woody with the EMC and different equipped groups person repeatedly failed.
Ms Dickinson said the radical whitethorn beryllium trying to halt an ongoing subject cognition that is reported to person injured oregon killed the group's seasoned leader, known arsenic "Ivan Mordisco."
"They are trying to rise the outgo of that subject inaugural for the government," said Ms Dickinson.
In a connection connected Tuesday (June 10, 2025), the EMC warned the nationalist to enactment distant from subject and constabulary installations, but stopped abbreviated of claiming responsibility.
The attacks travel 3 days aft blimpish Senator Uribe, 39, was changeable doubly successful the caput astatine adjacent scope by an alleged hitman portion campaigning successful the capital.
A 15-year-old fishy pleaded "not guilty" connected Tuesday (June 10, 2025) to carrying retired the attempted assassination. The authorities believes helium was a hired gun.
That onslaught has stunned Colombians, prompted speculation astir who was liable and raised questions astir the president's response.
Mr Petro has taken to societal media to speculate that the deed was ordered by an planetary "mafia" and to assertion that Mr Uribe's information item was suspiciously reduced the time helium was shot.
Published - June 11, 2025 04:41 americium IST
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