More than a dozen coordinated attacks took place on Tuesday across Colombia's Valle del Cauca state, leaving at least seven people dead and dozens more injured, according to authorities.
Officials confirmed the attacks were carried out by the Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central, or EMC), a dissident faction made up of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) members who broke away after the group signed a peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016.
Carlos Fernando Triana, director general of the Colombian National Police, said the attacks were launched in commemoration of the third anniversary of the death of Leider Johany Noscué, also known as "Mayimbú," a former commander of the Western Coordinating Command who was killed in 2022.
According to El País, the wave of violence began around 4 a.m. and primarily targeted law enforcement. Authorities said the rebels placed explosives in cars and motorcycles parked near police stations.
In Caloto, a police officer was killed by a sniper. About 30 minutes later, another officer died when an explosive device detonated at a toll booth in Villa Rica, about 16 miles north of Caloto.
In Cali, two civilians were killed in twin explosions near police stations. Three additional deaths—two civilians and the attacker—were reported after a car bomb exploded in a rural area of Jamundí, located less than an hour south of Cali.
Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, on his end, claimed the attacks are a direct response to recent military operations targeting rebel strongholds in the region.
Atención escalada terrorista en Cali. En la mañana dos atentados. Una de bajo poder en el barrio Manuela Beltrán y otro en el sector de Meléndez. pic.twitter.com/Wihix7QPOc
— Aldemar Dominguez Espinosa (@ADnoticias_) June 10, 2025
"We are entering a key stronghold of Mordisco's structures, both in the Micay Canyon and in the Nariño mountain range," Sánchez said in an interview. "Since they can't directly confront the security forces, they resort to terrorist acts to relieve pressure."
Additional attacks without fatalities were reported in several towns in Valle del Cauca, including Buenaventura and Palmira, where authorities defused a potential bombing after discovering gas cylinders marked with FARC graffiti near the airport road.
Local officials have widely condemned the violence. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder described the situation as a "terrorist wave," while Valle del Cauca Gov. Dilian Francisca Toro urged President Gustavo Petro via social media to convene an emergency security council "in response to the terrorist escalation experienced in the region, adding that authorities need to implement "comprehensive actions" to ensure the safety and peace of local residents.
Los dueños del caos y del terror pretenden desestabilizar el Valle del Cauca.
— Dilian Francisca T. (@DilianFrancisca) June 10, 2025
No se los vamos a permitir, de manera inmediata le solicito a los comandantes del @Ejercito_Div3, la @DevalPolicia y la @PoliciaCali, su presencia para que, en Consejo Extraordinario de Seguridad,…
The attacks come just days after another high-profile act of violence in Colombia. On June 7, presidential candidate and current senator Miguel Uribe was shot during a campaign rally in Bogotá.
Uribe, 39, was addressing supporters in a park when a gunman opened fire from behind. He was airlifted to Santa Fe Foundation Hospital, where he underwent emergency neurosurgery and vascular procedures. As of Sunday, the hospital confirmed to the BBC that Uribe remains in intensive care and in "extremely serious" condition.
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