Unknown kill three policemen in a social recreation center in northeastern Colombia

(CNN Spanish) – A group of unknown men fired at a social recreation center in the Cesar department, located in northeastern Colombia, and killed three policemen who were resting.

As reported by the departmental police, the events occurred after 7 PM this Saturday at the Piscina y Estadero Laura Sofía establishment.

The subjects who arrived by motorcycle at the scene were “heavily armed” and caused the death of Jader Javier Martínez López, 30, Hernando Rafael Mercado Figueroa, 37, and Leonardo Badillo Hernández, 38, all three assigned to the Station. Police Pailitas of District 4 of Curumaní. According to the Police, the armed group National Liberation Army (ELN) operates in the area.

In the incident, the pregnant wife of one of the soldiers was wounded with a firearm. The woman was transferred to a local hospital where she is receiving treatment and her health status is unknown.

The National Police rejects the attack and offers a reward of up to US $ 26,700 for information that allows the capture of those responsible. In turn, a special criminal investigation team was set up to find the material and intellectual authors of this crime.

The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, expressed solidarity with the families and affirmed that the deaths will not go unpunished. “We will go after those responsible. It is an honor to be a policeman, ”he wrote this Sunday on his Twitter account.