LOS PATIOS, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA – AUGUST 31, 2026 Massive explosion rocked the city of Los Patios, which is located not far from the border with Venezuela. At approximately 11:15 p.m. local time, a vehicle loaded with explosives exploded in front of a local police station. The attack claimed the life of one person and injured another 11. Among the injured were two police officers and nine civilians.
According to Colombian authorities, the vehicle had been modified to look like a taxi and contained approximately 80 kilograms of ANFO explosive. According to police, the charge was detonated remotely using a radio system. The vehicle was also reportedly stolen in the past.
The explosion caused extensive damage around the police station. Part of the building caught fire, and several police motorcycles were destroyed or damaged. The shock wave also damaged nearby homes and businesses; according to local authorities, approximately 30 properties were damaged. The explosion also caused a power outage in part of the area.
The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Jhon Endry Sandoval, who, according to local reports, was riding past the scene on a motorcycle. After the explosion, he was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but he later succumbed to his injuries.
Jhon Endry Sandoval
One of the injured police officers suffered injuries so severe that he lost one leg. The other injured people were transported to several medical facilities in the area.
Colombian security forces blamed the attack on the National Liberation Army (ELN), one of the country’s most significant remaining rebel groups. Police said that, according to the investigation so far, the attack was carried out by an urban ELN structure known as Carlos Germán Velasco Villamizar. Authorities also launched a search for its members. The urban ELN structure later actually claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its unit was behind the bombing.
Los Patios is located in the metropolitan area of Cúcuta, just a few dozen miles from the Venezuelan border. The Norte de Santander region has long been one of the most troubled parts of Colombia due to the presence of armed groups competing for control of territory and smuggling routes leading across the border.
