A car bomb exploded at a toll booth on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia, causing extensive material damage.
The attack came just a day after the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, was sworn in. The Colombian military blamed the blast on splinter factions of the former FARC rebel group.
The event brings to the fore the threat posed by armed groups in regions of Colombia, where factions of the former FARC and other armed organizations continue to be active.
Authorities have launched investigations to determine those responsible for the attack and to clarify its motives.
They said the attack targeted a toll booth on the Pan-American Highway in the coastal department of Cauca, in the west of the country.
Two security guards reportedly suffered minor injuries in the explosion, which a witness said was carried out by an individual who left his car behind and then fled the scene on a motorbike.
President de la Espriella's administration promised a tough response to the car bomb explosion.
"Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions," Transport Minister Elsa Noguera said in a social media post responding to the bombings.
She continued by referring to de la Espriella's inaugural speech, where he pledged to "defeat narcoterrorism" and curb criminal activity.
“As President Abelardo de la Espriella said yesterday, the time to restore order has begun,” Noguera added. “We will regain security, control of our territories and the peace of mind of Colombians.”
The hardline president, who was inaugurated on Friday, had campaigned for office on the promise of leading a crackdown on Colombia's armed groups.
