A motorcycle filled with explosives exploded at a police checkpoint in southwestern Colombia on Saturday, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to 14 others, as confirmed by local officials.

Authorities reported that police officers were carrying out inspections in the Las Penas area of the Jamundi municipality to mitigate the threat of violence from illegal armed groups. According to Col. Carlos Oviedo, commander of the Cali Metropolitan Police, the driver detonated the explosives after apparently feeling alarmed from the checkpoint procedure. The blast resulted in the driver’s death and injuries to seven civilians and seven police personnel, with one officer in critical condition.

Jamundi is seen as a strategically important location by criminal organizations because of its coca leaf plantations, which are used for cocaine production, and its proximity to the port of Buenaventura. The local crime group, Jaime Martinez, is active in this region and is made up of dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who rejected the peace agreement established in 2016.

Despite ongoing peace negotiations aimed at disarming illegal armed groups under President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” strategy, explosive attacks targeting military and police forces have persisted.

The Ombudsman’s office has raised alarms regarding the escalating violence in Jamundi, calling on authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the local residents.