Colombian military neutralizes five members of militant group linked to deadly bus bombing

Colombian military forces announced on June 17, 2026, that they neutralized five members of the militant group responsible for a bus bombing that killed 20 civilians and injured 45 others. The suspects were identified as members of the 'Estructura Jaime Martínez,' an organized armed group. Authorities stated that this group was involved in planting explosives in Cajibío and had engaged in vehicle theft along the Pan-American Highway, as well as deploying drones loaded with explosives. The military action followed an April 26 attack when an explosive device detonated on a passenger bus in the Cauca region, resulting in the deaths of 15 women and five men. General Hugo López, commander of Colombia's armed forces, condemned the bombing as a terrorist act and attributed it to dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), particularly the Jaime Martínez faction. The U.N. high commissioner for human rights has called for justice for the victims. The region has seen increased violence as illegal armed groups compete for control over coca leaf cultivation and drug trafficking routes.