FARC rebels detonated a minivan, likely killing the civilian driver and injuring at least eight policemen in a village in central Colombia, authorities said on Tuesday.
According to Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera, the charged bus was detonated when passing the police station in the village of Vegalarga, Huila, little over a 100 miles south-east of the capital Bogota.
The minister said that local authorities have not yet been able to say how many people died, but that “there are unrecognizable human remains.”
Huila Governor Emma Constanza Sastoque confirmed there deaths, but could also not say how many.
Both the minister and the governor blamed the FARC for the attack.
In a response, President Juan Manuel Santos condemned the attack and called it an act of cowardliness and despair.
“When a group has to resort to acts of terrorism like putting a bomb in a bus full of farm workers and letting it explode when passing a police station, this means that our ground, sea and air forces are doing a good job, because they have made the enemy despair,” Santos said.
Locals told newspaper El Tiempo that the minivan exploded in front of the police station exactly when a traditional “chiva” bus passed, but that only the windows broke on that bus and none of the passengers were injured.
According to the locals, the remains found at the site belong to driver of the minivan. They mentioned no passengers.
Police and rescue workers are at the bomb site to investigate the attack and identify victims.
Update Wednesday 6AM
Authorities confirm the death of the driver. According to Caracol Radio, 20 houses close to the police post were completely destroyed by the explosion. Locals told the radio station that because of rumors on an imminent attack on the police post many neighbors had already abandoned their houses.
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