Bomb explosions kill three people at Colombian airport
Three people died this Tuesday morning after two explosions at an airport in the Colombian border town of Cúcuta, police and security officials said.
Cúcuta is the capital of Norte de Santander, a province along the Venezuelan border that has become the new epicenter of Colombia's protracted internal conflict as security forces battle drug gangs and rebels amid rising coca production .
"Criminals entered Camilo Daza airport, where they detonated an explosive device between the runway and the fence," Cúcuta police commander Colonel Giovanni Madarriaga said in a video. "Because of this (explosion) there were remains."
Several minutes later, police checking the area found a suitcase, Madarriaga added.
"As they approached, with all safety precautions, it exploded."
The two dead police officers, William Bareno Ardila and David Reyes Jimenez, had been recognized for their work to clear landmines, police said in messages to reporters.
Police are collecting evidence to identify those responsible, Madarriaga added.
Both President Iván Duque and Defense Minister Diego Molano repudiated the attack on Twitter.
"We are coordinating all immediate actions to find those responsible for this attack," said Duque.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
