24 Killed in New Wave of Colombia Strife
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BOGOTA, Colombia — Leftist guerrillas destroyed an aircraft and 24 people died in three massacres Saturday in Colombia’s latest wave of violence, police and government officials said.
Guerrillas of the Colombia Revolutionary Armed Forces--known as the FARC--took over a small airport at Villa Garzon in southwestern Colombia and forced passengers to get off a 19-seat aircraft of the private airline Aires.
The rebels poured gasoline inside the aircraft and set fire to it, an Aires spokesman said. The airline said the six passengers and two crew members were unharmed.
The FARC, Colombia’s biggest and oldest guerrilla group, has sharply stepped up violence nationwide since the army launched an offensive against its headquarters last Sunday. About 30 guerrillas and 20 soldiers have been killed in the offensive.
Elsewhere, authorities reported three massacres that left 24 dead.
In the worst incident, gunmen burst into a bar at Itagui, just south of Colombia’s cocaine capital of Medellin, throwing a hand grenade and firing indiscriminately.
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