14 Dec 2021 | 06:18 PM UTC
Colombia: Flight operations resume at Camilo Daza International Airport (CUC) in Cucuta after bomb blasts kill three people early Dec. 14 /update 1
Flight operations resume at Camilo Daza International Airport (CUC) in Cucuta, Colombia, after bomb blasts kill three people early Dec. 14.
Event
Flight operations have resumed at Camilo Daza International Airport (CUC) after two bomb blasts killed at least three people in the vicinity of the airport in Cucuta, North Santander Department, early Dec. 14. Authorities had evacuated the airport and suspended flights for several hours following the attack.
Authorities recorded the first blast at around 05:25 as an individual, carrying an explosive device, attempted to climb over the airport's perimeter fence, triggering the device's detonation; the explosion killed the individual carrying the device. A suitcase then exploded at around 06:50, killing two police officers as they examined it. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Flight delays and cancellations are likely at CUC over the coming hours while authorities work to clear the backlog of flights. Heightened security measures will likely remain in place around CUC through at least late Dec. 14, possibly resulting in ground transport disruptions that impede access to the airport.
Context
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano asserted the Dec. 14 blasts constituted a "terrorist act" and intimated that Colombian rebels based in Venezuela may be responsible.
Preliminary reports suggest that the attack's objective may have been to destroy police and military helicopters stationed at the airport. While authorities have not immediately linked the individual killed in the first blast to a specific militant group, the National Liberation Army (Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional, ELN) and factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) notably operate in the area.
Advice
Prepare for lingering flight disruptions and heightened security measures at CUC over the coming hours. Contact your airline to confirm flight reservations if flying via CUC Dec. 14. Adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.
