BOGOTA: A blast killed six people and injured 10 others in the town of Convencion in Colombia’s northeast, local authorities said on Thursday. The explosive device was believed to have been planted by leftist rebels.

Initially two people were reported dead in the blast. Another four later succumbed to their wounds, officials said.

“The death toll from the attack is three police officers and three civilians, and we have other 10 wounded,” said city hall official Leonardo Angarita.

A local government spokesman earlier said “rebels set off a car bomb”, but did not specify which group he was blaming for the attack, which occurred about 650kilometres northeast of Bogota.

Both the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) are active in the area, not far from the Venezuelan border.

Local ombudsman Adrian Pesiti said he believed the attack was not a car bomb, but some other kind of explosive device.—AFP