Colombia Bus Bombing Death Toll Rises to 20

At least 20 people have been killed and 36 injured, including five minors, in a bombing on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia's Cauca region. The attack occurred Saturday when an explosive device was detonated on a bus traveling through Cajibio, according to multiple reports.

The victims include 15 women and five men, all adults, with three of those injured remaining hospitalized in intensive care units. According to Governor Octavio Guzmán, the blast left a crater measuring 200 cubic meters on the vital highway that runs through Central and South America.

The bombing is part of a wave of at least two dozen incidents targeting civilians over a two-day period, blamed on dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). President Gustavo Petro specifically named Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias 'Iván Mordisco,' and Jacobo Arredondo, alias 'Marlon,' as suspects behind the attack.

Authorities are working to reopen the highway, identify victims, and provide aid to their families. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks and called for investigations to guarantee justice for victims. Meanwhile, Petro has urged a worldwide pursuit of these narco-terrorist groups and financial crackdowns on their transactions.