A car bomb attributed to the ELN guerrilla group exploded on Monday next to a police station in Colombia near the border with Venezuela, leaving one civilian dead, eleven injured and part of the building destroyed, local authorities confirmed.
In response to this attack, the government of President Abelardo de la Espriella adopted a completely intransigent stance against the illegal armed groups plaguing the border region. The president used official channels to warn that state forces would apply the full force of the law against those responsible for the attack.
“We will pursue with an iron fist those who attack Colombians, until we capture them, dismantle their structures, and restore peace to our communities,” the head of state warned via social media. He also confirmed that he will assume direct control of the response by convening a security council with the entire top brass of the armed forces, which he will attend personally to coordinate the pursuit operations.
Tragic toll and material damage in Norte de Santander
The attack occurred near midnight in the municipality of Los Patios, belonging to the department of Norte de Santander, within the framework of a complex situation of violence in the border area.
Colonel Jimmy Belalcázar, commander of the local police, told Caracol Radio that the fatal victim was a 23-year-old Venezuelan man, while among the eleven injured were two uniformed officers, one of whom suffered the mutilation of his left leg and the other was affected by the impact of shrapnel from the explosive material.
