Deadly Colombian airport bombings branded terrorist attack
The twin blasts that rocked an airport in the Colombian city of Cucuta on Tuesday, killing two police officers, was a terrorist attack, the country’s President Ivan Duque has said.
“We reject the cowardly terrorist attack that occurred in the city of Cucuta,” Duque wrote on Twitter, adding that the military and police were doing everything to track down those responsible.
The Camilo Daza International Airport, in the capital of the northeastern Norte de Santander Department, was struck by two explosions on Tuesday morning.
The first blast happened early in the day as the alleged perpetrator tried to get the bomb onto the airport grounds by climbing over a fence. The device is believed to have detonated prematurely, killing the suspect.
The second device went off an hour later when the bomb squad arrived on site and started searching the area. It was reportedly hidden in a bag, with the explosion killing two officers.
In June, a helicopter carrying Duque and several other top Colombian officials was fired upon by unknown assailants not far from the Camilo Daza airport. The aircraft sustained a few hits, but was able to safely reach the airfield in Cucuta.
Several anti-government guerilla groups, including remnants of the FARC rebel faction, currently operate in the Norte de Santander.
