Explosive attacks in Arequipa, Peru

In early September, police in Arequipa, Peru, began investigating an explosive attack on a residence in the Miraflores district. Security footage from the Chapi Chico neighborhood showed a man and a woman, with the woman wearing a gray tracksuit, igniting and throwing an explosive device at a home. The blast damaged the property’s gates, windows, and a vehicle, while also causing material damage to neighboring houses. At the time, residents stated they had received no prior extortion threats.

By late September, the frequency of such incidents appeared to increase. Two separate explosive attacks targeted residential properties in the Miraflores district within an 80-minute window. One blast struck a five-story building in Chapi Chico, and a second struck a three-story residence in the Tomasa Tito Condemayta area.

Specialists from the Explosive Deactivation Unit (UDEX) and extortion detectives have been deployed to collect evidence. Investigators are evaluating if these incidents are linked to criminal gang disputes or extortion, noting that five explosive attacks had been reported in the area within a single month.