BOGOTA - At least two people were killed on Friday in a bombing at the Alto Pino toll station on a highway in Colombia’s La Guajira department, the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) confirmed.
At the time of the attack, six people were on duty at the toll station. Tragically, the toll station manager and the tow truck inspector died on site," ANI said in a statement. According to the agency, armed men arrived at the site just before dawn and left behind a box that later exploded, destroying the toll booth on the road linking Maicao and Riohacha. Colombia’s Transport Minister, María Fernanda Rojas, condemned the attack, noting that guerrilla symbols linked to the ELN (National Liberation Army) were found at the scene.
"Within the transport sector, we reject all forms of violence that endanger life and safety on our roads," she said. Maicao’s mayor, Miguel Aragón, called the bombing “deeply sad and outrageous,” adding that such violence is rare in the region.
“Innocent working people lost their lives as they headed out early to perform their duties,” he said, pledging to seek justice and urging public safety agencies to take immediate action. Aragón also requested the immediate deployment of national defense forces and announced an extraordinary security council meeting to enhance protection and prevent further incidents. The bombing occurred on the first day of Colombia’s mid-year holiday weekend, a period during which millions of vehicles are expected to travel across the country’s roads. (Xinhua)