A bomb attack on a police station in the Colombian city of Barranquilla killed at least three policemen, injuring another 30, El Espectador newspaper reported, adding that two attackers also opened fire at the police station in the San Jose neighborhood a mile from the local port.
According to the media, the assailants threw an explosive at the police station building at about 6:40 a.m. local time (10:40 a.m. GMT), during a police morning briefing.
At least 3 officers killed in a bomb attack on a police station in Barranquilla in Colombia.
— Tom Kavanagh (@_TomKavanagh) 27 января 2018 г.
Reports say two men on a motorbike threw an explosive into a group of police who were standing in formation.https://t.co/fD5cZ0iPYu pic.twitter.com/smuE5bzWBb
According to preliminary data, the explosive device was activated remotely. The Tiempo news portal notes that, according to one version, the explosion could have been carried out to distract the attention of the police, since at around the same time some criminals robbed a nearby cash transport vehicle. Another version includes it being the revenge of bandits for police operations committed against drug trafficking in the city.
Nos duele mucho este atentado terrorista en Barranquilla. Nuestros héroes volvieron a ser víctimas de criminales de lesa humanidad, a quienes el gobierno les ha enseñado que asesinar da beneficios e impunidad. Dios bendiga a sus familias. pic.twitter.com/wWFjqGssik
— Álvaro Hernán Prada (@ALVAROHPRADA) 27 января 2018 г.
The Colombian police already reported on their Twitter microblog that authorities have already detained one suspected of involvement in the blast.