Pumping along Colombia's crucial Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline has been suspended following a bombing attack by unknown perpetrators, operator Cenit announced on Sunday. 

The incident, which occurred in a rural area of Saravena in the northeastern Arauca region, has halted the flow of oil from production fields to the Caribbean coast for export.

Cenit, a subsidiary of the majority state-owned oil company Ecopetrol, reported that a contingency plan was immediately activated to contain potential spills and environmental damage resulting from the blast.

While Cenit did not identify those responsible for the attack, military sources indicate that the area is known for the presence of National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and dissidents of the FARC who rejected the 2016 peace accord with the government.

The Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline, capable of transporting up to 210,000 barrels of oil per day, is a frequent target of such attacks. 

Running along Colombia's northern border with Venezuela, the pipeline has faced similar attacks in the past, resulting in fires and significant contamination of local rivers and streams, according to Cenit. 

The repeated targeting of this vital infrastructure underscores the ongoing security challenges in regions, threatening the operation of the key oil pipeline. Authorities are currently investigating the attack.