Car bomb at Colombian toll booth injures at least three civilians

A car bomb exploded Monday at a toll booth near El Bordo, in Colombia’s southwestern Cauca department, injuring at least three civilians.

The army blamed the attack on the Carlos Patiño front, a group led by former FARC members who did not join the 2016 peace deal.

Fighting has intensified in Cauca: a soldier was killed in a clash on Friday, and another died in a drone attack on Saturday.

The army blamed the drone attack on a different rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN.

After the 2016 deal, smaller armed groups sought control of rural areas the government had not taken over, including routes and resources tied to drug trafficking and mining.

The attacks come as President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government has canceled peace talks with remaining rebel groups and taken a harder line against them.

De la Espriella has promised to intensify military operations, but the sources give no specific next step following Monday’s bombing.