Car Bomb Tears Through Colombian Military Base, Leaves At Least 36 Injured

The blasts hit a facility used by the 30th Brigade of the National Army on Tuesday afternoon, injuring 36, minister Diego Molano told reporters, noting that three were seriously wounded.

“We reject and repudiate this vile and terrorist act which sought to attack the soldiers of Colombia. Thirty-six people were injured. Three of them with a degree of gravity,” he said, adding that two men in a white Toyota pick-up drove into the base after representing themselves as officials, apparently setting off the explosions sometime later.

As reports of the blasts emerged earlier on Tuesday, Molano said he would leave for Cucuta immediately to investigate along with General Luis Jimenez, the general commander of Colombia’s armed forces.

Interior Minister Daniel Palacios also called the incident a “cowardly terrorist attack” in a post online.

Both civilians and army personnel were injured, according to military sources cited by Reuters, though they did not specify the number of civilians wounded.

Unconfirmed footage circulating online purported to show the moment both explosions went off, one captured mere foot away from the detonation.

Damage to one building near the base was also seen in a video making the rounds on social media, showing smashed windows and debris scattered on the ground as a small fire smoldered in the background.

While no group has claimed the apparent bombing, the defense minister said the National Liberation Army [ELN] rebel group may be responsible, adding that this is the government’s “initial hypothesis.” He also said “dissidents” with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia [FARC] are under suspicion as well, though no suspects have been identified.