BOGOTA, June 15 (Reuters) - A car bomb explosion at a navy base within the Colombian border metropolis of Cucuta injured 36 humans on Tuesday, the defense minister stated, casting blame for the assault on leftist rebels.
The explosion happened at a base used by the 30th Army Brigade inside the northeastern metropolis close to the border with Venezuela.
"We reject and repudiate this vile and terrorist act which sought to assault the infantrymen of Colombia," Defence Minister Diego Molano advised journalists. "Thirty-six humans have been injured. Three of them with a degree of gravity."
One of the injured has had surgery, Molano stated, and 29 are hospitalized.
Two guys drove a white Toyota truck into the base after passing themselves off as officers, he said, including there had been two explosions.
Despite a 2016 peace deal with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, Colombia's navy continues to conflict National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas, crime gangs and former FARC members who reject the accord.
The ELN, FARC dissidents and crime gangs are all found in every so often-restive Norte de Santander province, in which the thirtieth Brigade operates.
"The initial hypothesis is that the ELN are at the back of this demential and vile act," Molano stated. "Also being investigated is the involvement of FARC dissidents."
The harm toll could have been better but maximum personnel had been in preventative isolation due to coronavirus, a excessive-ranking legitimate advised Reuters in advance on Tuesday.
Photos and video circulating on social media confirmed a destroyed white car in flames.
President Ivan Duque stated on Twitter he would travel to Cucuta to fulfill with army leaders and nearby government.
Social media movies confirmed what regarded to be U.S. Navy personnel on the base after the assault. Dozens of U.S. Advisors are stationed in Colombia, but the U.S. Navy's Southern Command did not without delay reply to a request for comment.
The government blamed FARC dissidents for a car bomb attack in March in Cauca province which injured greater than forty humans.
A 2019 ELN car bomb attack at Bogota’s police academy killed 22 human beings and ended nascent peace talks between the organization and the authorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment