An attack using explosives and rifles against the Police station in Jamundi, in the department of Valle del Cauca, marked this Saturday the third attack—following yesterday’s assaults on military battalions in Cali and Palmira—in less than 24 hours against the public force in southwestern Colombia.
The string of violent actions confirms a sustained offensive in one of the country’s most unstable regions just over a month before the presidential elections.
This morning’s incident adds to two other attacks that occurred on Friday in the same area, raising tensions in southern Valle and triggering alerts among authorities.
The repetition of attacks in such a short period reinforces the hypothesis of a coordinated action by illegal armed groups with a strong presence in the corridor that connects to Cauca.
Related: Bombing on the Pan-American Highway Leaves at Least Seven Dead in Southern Colombia.
Colombia’s security crisis deepens: third attack in 24 hours in Valle del Cauca
The attack in Jamundi took place in recent hours, when armed men assaulted the Police station with explosive devices and rifle fire. The intensity of the assault caused panic among nearby residents, who were caught in the crossfire.
The public force responded to the attack by activating defense protocols to contain the offensive. Although the official toll is still being compiled, the incident caused significant material damage and has local authorities on alert, who fear further actions in the coming hours, although there are no casualties.
“A brief clash was reported following the explosion. For this reason, the authorities in Jamundi will hold an extraordinary security council meeting to strengthen the operations already underway to protect urban and rural communities,” the military added.
The Commander General of Colombia’s Military Forces, General Hugo Lopez Barreto, gave an immediate order to deploy a greater presence of police officers and soldiers in the department of Valle del Cauca to counter a possible new attack attempt and protect citizens’ safety.
This type of attack, combining explosives with bursts of long firearms, has become recurrent in municipalities in southern Valle del Cauca, especially in rural areas and in strategic zones near Cali.
The episode in Jamundi completes a sequence of three attacks in less than a day. On Friday, the region had already been the scene of two violent actions targeting the public force, in incidents that also involved the use of explosives.
The recurrence of these attacks in such a short span leads authorities to believe that this is a planned offensive aimed at demonstrating operational capacity, generating media impact, and putting pressure on the State in a key region that has suffered from violence for several years.
#ATENCIÓN📍A las 5:35 de la madrugada de este sábado 25 de abril fue atacada con fusiles y granada subestación de Policía en Potrerito, #Jamundí, este es el tercer hecho violento registrado en el Valle, luego de los atentados en #Cali y #Palmira.
No hay heridos. pic.twitter.com/vfqE6xhpYZ— Hoy|Noticias (@HoyNoticias2) April 25, 2026
The role of dissident groups in a region under criminal dispute
Initial hypotheses point to dissident structures of the former FARC, which maintain a strong presence in Valle del Cauca and Cauca. These groups have intensified their actions amid territorial disputes and pressure to control illegal economies.
Among the structures identified are fronts operating in the southwest that have been responsible for similar attacks in the past. Their strategy includes harassment of the security forces, the use of improvised explosives, and simultaneous actions in different parts of the territory.
Southern Valle is a strategic corridor due to its connection with coca-growing areas in Cauca and routes used for drug trafficking. This factor makes municipalities such as Jamundi key scenarios within the armed dispute.
The security situation in Valle del Cauca reflects a broader dynamic of reconfiguration of the armed conflict in Colombia. The fragmentation of illegal groups has given rise to more flexible structures, capable of carrying out coordinated attacks and rapidly adapting to pressure from authorities.
In recent years, the region has recorded bombings, attacks on police stations, and actions against state infrastructure. These events not only affect the security forces but also directly impact the civilian population.
The proximity to Cauca, one of the departments hardest hit by violence, worsens the outlook. There, dissident groups have demonstrated the capacity to carry out simultaneous offensives, a pattern that now appears to be replicated in Valle del Cauca.