3 Killed, 9 Injured in Hand Grenade Explosion in Colombia

A hand grenade explosion in the heart of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, left three people dead and nine others injured late Thursday night.

The attack occurred in the San Bernardo neighborhood, an area that has recently become a battleground for local criminal gangs.

Bogotá's Mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, confirmed the incident in a statement on social media, revealing that an explosive device was thrown at a crowd, causing multiple casualties.

Police Chief General Giovanni Cristancho confirmed that the explosion was caused by a hand grenade and attributed the attack to an ongoing conflict between two rival criminal organizations vying for control over the area, which has become a hotspot for drug trafficking in recent years.

The attack is believed to be a response to the intensified security operations launched by local authorities to combat organized crime in the neighborhood. 

Mayor Galán described the incident as a desperate reaction from criminal gangs attempting to resist the heavy police crackdown.

This deadly explosion comes just three weeks after a similar attack in the same neighborhood, where a grenade blast killed one person and injured seven others.

Local authorities have vowed to increase security measures and intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the area.