At least ten people have been injured, including seven police officers, after the explosion of a car bomb attributed to the National Liberation Army (ELN) near a police station in Cúcuta, the capital of the Norte de Santander department, on the border with Venezuela.
The blast occurred last night just meters from the Cúcuta Central Market, one of the main commercial hubs of the city, according to the Colombian broadcaster Blu Radio.
After this first explosion, about fifteen additional detonations were recorded, accompanied by a burst of gunfire directed at the personnel who were at the back of those facilities.
The governor of Norte de Santander, William Villamizar Laguado, has expressed his "strong" rejection of this new attack against the security forces in the area and has announced that they will collaborate with the authorities "to find the material and intellectual authors of this cowardly act."
The region has suffered for years from a particularly complex criminal network, marked by clashes between the ELN guerrilla, the dissidents of the FARC, and narco-paramilitary groups such as the Gulf Clan. In this context, the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, has indicated in an initial assessment that the 'elenistas' would be responsible for the attack and has announced a reward in exchange for information that allows locating and arresting the authors of these attacks.
The elected president, Abelardo De la Espriella, condemned the terrorist attack in Cúcuta and has assured that terrorism "will not intimidate the country nor bend the will of Colombians to live in peace and security."
"My solidarity with the injured uniformed personnel, their families, and with all the citizens who today are living moments of anguish. Those responsible must be identified, captured, and brought to justice with the full weight of the law," he added.
"To our heroes of the Public Force: you are not alone. Colombia and the tiger support you," concluded the elected president.