Ecuador has experienced multiple explosions targeting bridges, with authorities blaming the local gang Los Lobos and Colombian ex-FARC dissidents in retaliation for recent military operations against illegal miners.

Transport Minister Roberto Luque described the attacks as “terrorism,” while Interior Minister John Reimberg said the blasts followed the destruction of illegal mining sites and the detention of ex-FARC members.

No casualties have been reported from the bridge attacks, though roads remain closed, and the affected structures sustained significant damage.

The incidents follow a car bomb outside a Guayaquil shopping mall that killed one person and injured others, highlighting a broader wave of criminal violence in Ecuador since 2021, Al-Jazeera has reported.

The U.S. State Department condemned the attacks, and Ecuadorian authorities launched investigations, offering rewards for information leading to arrests.