A civilian was killed and 11 others were injured after a car packed with explosives was detonated outside a police station in northeastern Colombia on Tuesday. The attack occurred around midnight in Los Patios, a town situated on the border with Venezuela that is also part of the Cucuta metropolitan area. 1 suspect has been detained by local authorities in connection with the blast.
Among those wounded in the blast are several police officers. President Abelardo de la Espriella addressed the incident on social media, stating that the government intends to pursue those responsible for the attack. In a post on X, he declared, “Colombia will not yield to terrorism.”
The region surrounding Cucuta has long been a site of conflict, with drug gangs and rebel groups competing for control over smuggling routes that lead into Venezuela. This latest incident follows an explosion in August outside a police station in Cucuta that killed a police dog and injured 11 police officers. Officials previously attributed that attack to the National Liberation Army, which is Colombia’s largest remaining rebel group.
President de la Espriella, who assumed office in August, has pledged a firm stance against crime. His administration recently made the decision to cancel peace talks that the Colombian government had been conducting with various rebel groups.
