Attack against police in Tibú leaves three dead

The authorities reported that an attack was registered this Wednesday in the municipality of Tibú, department of Norte de Santander, in the northeast of Colombia, leaving three fatalities.

The event would have occurred when an explosive device was activated by a police patrol, around 2:30 pm while “it was moving towards the facilities of the base of our National Army in Tibú,” indicates a police statement.

In addition to the three deaths, a civilian and two police officers identified as Deputy Mayor Ángelo Raúl Martínez Arévalo and patrolman Andrés Idárraga Orozco, at least ten injuries were reported, including uniformed officers and residents of this municipality.

Among the wounded are Major Wilson Millán Triana, commander of the Tibú Police District; Mayor Édinson Niño Hernández, and patrolmen Germán Yahir Gómez Monsalve, Brando Lec Coronado Aarón and Ezequiel Felipe Pérez Arciniegas.

“The first medical report indicates that patrolman Pérez Arciniegas had to be admitted to intensive care at the Erasmo Meoz University Hospital in the city of Cúcuta, while Major Millán and the other three uniformed officers are stable,” the statement said.

Police said the injured civilians were airlifted and an interdisciplinary team was in place to assist the families of the victims.

The Governor of Norte de Santander rejected the attack, via Twitter: “We nortesantandereans cannot bear more deaths or violent actions from armed groups. We reject the events that ended the lives of several people in the municipality of Tibú, and who are in mourning to their families and to the department that yearns so much for peace”.

For its part, the Police, in addition to condemning the act, offered a reward of up to 200 million pesos (about $45,000) to anyone who provides information that allows them to find the whereabouts of those responsible.

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