Colombia, May 24: A bomb planted by suspected rebels exploded in a crowded discotheque in northwest Colombia, killing at least six people and wounding 82 — the bloodiest in a series of attacks marking the 40th anniversary of Colombia's main rebel group. Another bomb blew up early Sunday at a pool hall in the Caribbean port city of Cartagena, killing one person and wounding three. It was not immediately clear who was behind that attack. At least 13 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded since the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, began its wave of attacks Thursday, apparently to mark the 40th anniversary of its founding this week. A 4-year-old girl was among those killed when the bomb, packed in a small suitcase and planted in a bathroom, exploded in the discotheque shortly before midnight Saturday. The attack occurred in Apartado, 280 miles northwest of Bogota, in Antioquia state. Antioquia state Lieutenant Gov. Jorge Mejia said that attack bore the hallmarks of the FARC. Authorities arrested a suspect shortly after the bombing with a hand grenade in his possession, Mejia said.
Mejia said seven people died in the blast, while Gen. Faucelino Latorre, the military chief in the region, said a total of six died.
Twenty-five of the injured are in serious or critical condition and have been flown to hospitals in Medellin, Colombia's second-largest city.
Bureau Report