Police in Colombia’s Cauca department thwarted a terrorist attack by uncovering a huge roadside explosive device weighing 70 kilograms, thought to have been targeted at a military convoy passing through the town of Corinto.
The massive bomb was composed of a dangerous mixture known as R1, which is a combination of ammonium nitrate and aluminum, and was attached to two large cylinders, according to the national police’s website.
An elite bomb squad unit moved the device to the village of Rio Negro, where the bomb was defused before being transported to a remote region and detonated under controlled conditions.
The region has recently suffered a string of attacks from guerrilla groups active in the department, including temporarily stealing a Raphael Pardo campaign bus on Monday.
In late April the FARC caused serious damage by bombing a bank in Cauca.
Earlier in the month, sixteen teachers in Cauca were forced to flee their homes and jobs after receiving death threats.