WEB DESK
The death toll from a car bomb blast outside a police academy in Bogota has risen to 21. Those dead include the person responsible for the attack. 68 cadets have been reported injured in the worst such incident in the city in 16 years. The Colombian government has declared three days of mourning.
The defense ministry said the terrorist act was carried out using a vehicle packed with 80 kilograms of explosives. The bomber struck at the General Francisco de Paula Santander Officer’s School in the south of Bogota during a promotion ceremony for cadets.
A person named Jose Aldemar Rojas Rodriguez has been identified as the material author of the blast. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a tweet, President Ivan Duque said the Colombians reject terrorism and they are united in fighting it. Later, in a statement, he said he has ordered reinforcements to Colombia’s borders and routes in and out of cities.