Three people including a young Frenchwoman were killed and nine wounded Saturday when an explosion rocked an upscale mall in Bogota, as Colombia's only active guerrilla group condemned the blast. President Juan Manuel Santos said there were "no clear indications" who was behind the explosion, emphasizing that those responsible would be captured and held accountable.
"Terrorists are not going to change our ways," he said at the scene of the attack, urging Colombians to continue "normal life" and enjoy the Father's Day holiday on Sunday. One Frenchwoman, 23, died in the attack, according to the city's mayor. Two Colombians also died, the Clinic of the Country said in a statement. Another 48-year-old Frenchwoman was among the injured, according to the clinic. Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa also said authorities could not confirm "which group could be responsible" for the blast, but it was "clearly a cowardly terrorist attack."
The Frenchwoman who died had spent six months working in a school in a poor neighbourhood, Penalosa said. Police said that at about 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) the explosion tore through a restroom in the Centro Andino Mall, crowded with shoppers ahead of Father's Day and located in an affluent area of the Colombian capital that is popular with foreigners. National police chief General Jorge Nieto told reporters "a device" was placed "behind one of the toilets in the women's bathroom" in the shopping centre.
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