Posted by on June 16, 2021 4:00 pm
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Colombia military policy soldier guard
A soldier patrols around a military base where a car bomb exploded, according to authorities, in Cucuta, June 15, 2021.

  • A car bomb exploded on Tuesday at a Colombian military base near the border with Venezuela.
  • A Colombian soldier was in intensive care and two US military personnel had light injuries, Colombia's defense minister said Wednesday.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian soldier was in intensive care and two US military personnel sustained light injuries following a car bombing in the city of Cucuta attributed to leftist guerrillas, Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said on Wednesday.

The car bombing took place on Tuesday at a military base used by the 30th Army Brigade in the northeastern city, which is near the border with Venezuela.

"No one from the group of US advisors who are assisting in the fight against drug-trafficking were seriously hurt," Molano said from the base.

Of the 36 people injured, one remains in intensive care and two more are recovering from surgery, the minister said.

Destroyed building at Colombia military base
A destroyed building at a military base that Colombian authorities said was damaged by a car bomb, in Cucuta, June 15, 2021.

The US military's Southern Command confirmed in a statement all personnel were accounted for following the bombing and no one had grave injuries.

A reward of up to 500 million pesos ($135,000) is available for information leading to the capture of those behind the attack, Molano said.

The vehicle entered through the base's main door, driven by a person who got out before it exploded twice, said Attorney General Francisco Barbosa.

The leading theory points to the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, said Gen. Luis Fernando Navarro, commander of Colombia's armed forces.

However, possible links with former FARC fighters who reject a 2016 peace deal with the government are also being explored, Barbosa added.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; writing by Oliver Griffin; editing by Marguerita Choy)

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