Explosions have rocked different parts of Ecuador, with officials accusing a local criminal gang and Colombian ex-FARC dissidents of targeting two bridges in retaliation for a major military operation against illegal miners.

It is the latest wave of violence to have engulfed the South American nation in recent years. The government of President Daniel Noboa has been struggling to beat back criminal groups, who have shifted their drug smuggling from more militarised countries like Colombia to historically peaceful Ecuador.

Explosives were placed on bridges “to block traffic”, Transport Minister Roberto Luque wrote on X on Wednesday, describing the acts as “terrorism”. No casualties have been reported, though roads leading to the affected areas remain closed.

Interior Minister John Reimbe

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