- Eyewitnesses say civilians among dead, many homes damaged.
- Explosion causes panic on Busy Cali Street near Air Base.
- Regional Governor says terrorism will not defeat us.
Five people were killed and dozens were injured when a vehicle bomb targeted a military base on a busy street in the Colombian city of Cali on Thursday, local authorities said.
Police said the bomb had targeted Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School.
“There was a thunderous sound of something exploding near the airline base,” 65-year-old eyewitness Hector Fabio Bolanos told AFP.
“There were so many wounded people,” he said. “Many houses were damaged in front of the base.”
Several buildings and a school were evacuated.
Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said the preliminary reports indicated that at least five people were killed and 36 people were injured.
He announced a ban on large trucks coming into the city in fear of further explosions.
Eyewitness Alexis Atizabal, 40, indicated that civilians may be among the dead.
“There were deaths among people passing by at Avenue,” he said.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible, but regional governor Dilian Francisca Toro called it a “terrorist attack.”
“Terrorism will not defeat us,” she said.
In June, leftist Geriljas assumed the responsibility for a wave of bombing and gun attacks in and around Cali, killing seven people.
The group, Central General Staff (EMC), rejected a peace agreement in 2016 and has increased operations prior to the 2026 election.
