Colombia offers record $1.4m-reward for rebel it blames for deadly bomb attack

Officials say a rebel leader known as "Marlon" ordered the attack in which 20 people were killed. Colombia offers record $1.4m-reward for rebel it blames for deadly bomb attack Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The defence minister accused alias 'Marlon' of ordering a wave of attacks A "Wanted" posted bears a photo and the name of the man known as alias "Marlon". The posted, issued by the Colombian defence ministry accuses him of a number of crimes, including "terrorism, forced recruitment of children, kidnapping". Alias Marlon is shown with his brow furrowed and wearing an olive green beret. He has a goatee beard and a closely-cropped moustache. Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez says he is offering a record reward for information leading to the capture of a rebel leader known as "Marlon". "Marlon", whose real name is Iván Jacob Idrobo Arredondo, is suspected of having ordered Saturday's bomb attack on the Pan-American Highway, in which 20 people were killed. "Marlon", whose real name is Iván Jacob Idrobo Arredondo, is suspected of having ordered Saturday's bomb attack on the Pan-American Highway The attack is one of the deadliest targeting civilians and comes just over a month before presidential elections scheduled for 31 May. Sánchez said the 5bn peso ($1.4m; £1m) reward for "Marlon" was the highest offered by Colombia. The defence minister accused "Marlon" of being behind Saturday's attack as well as a series of others in the provinces of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, in south-western Colombia, over the weekend. No evidence or details have been released. In the deadliest of these incidents, 15 women and five men were killed when an explosive device was detonated on the motorway connecting the cities of Cali and Popayán, the governor of Cauca province said. Several buses and other vehicles were destroyed in the blast, which opened up a huge crater. "Marlon" belongs to an armed group led by a dissident rebel known by the alias of Iván Mordisco, Colombia's most wanted man. Mordisco once formed part of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) but broke away from the rebel group as it negotiated the 2016 peace deal with the government. He is considered to be Colombia's most powerful dissident rebel leader. His group engages in illegal mining and extortion as well as drug trafficking. Cauca Governor Octavio Guzmán described Saturday's explosive attack as the "most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades". President Gustavo Petro described those behind it as "terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers" and ordered additional troops to the region. Petro's term ends in August of this year. Barred by the constitution from running for a second term, he has given his backing to the left-wing candidate, Iván Cepeda. Opinion polls suggest that Cepeda, who has called for more negotiation efforts with the rebels, is currently ahead of several candidates from the right-wing opposition, who are calling for a tougher approach. The new president is due to be chosen on 31 May, with a possible run-off scheduled for 21 June. A view of the area affected by the explosion near the Marco Fidel Suarez aviation base, in Cali, Colombia, on 12 August 2025. At least 18 killed and dozens injured in separate Colombia attacks A handout by the Colombian military shows images of the three soldiers killed by the drone in their uniforms. The coat of arms of the army can be seen in the left-hand corner with a black mourning banner. Three Colombian soldiers killed in attack with explosive-laden drones Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks at a news conference. He is flanked by two high-ranking members of Colombia's military. The minister is standing at a podium bearing the Ministry of Defence's official seal. Colombian military bombs suspected rebel camp, killing 19 Political violence has escalated in Colombia ahead of next month's presidential election. The air strike comes after the US accused the Colombian president of allowing the drugs trade to expand. Drones are being increasingly used by illegal armed groups to attack Colombia's security forces. The Conflict Insights Group (CIG) says its research also shows the extent of UAE involvement. The final six nations have qualified for the 2026 World Cup - this is your essential lowdown on the expanded edition of the tournament. The Hercules military transport plane crashed minutes after take-off near Colombia's southern border with Peru. Colombia's defence minister says it was a "tragic accident" but the cause is not yet clear. Colombia has become a tech hub for Latin America, but attracting investors is a challenge.