Colombia governor says he escaped two armed attacks in 24 hours

A Colombian governor has said he survived two armed attacks in 24 hours in a region of the South American nation where FARC dissident fighters operate.

Juan Guillermo Zuluaga, governor of the central Meta department, south of the capital Bogota, told W Radio the first attack happened on Sunday when the vehicle he was travelling in “was hit by a sniper”.

Then, he said “an explosive device” was detonated on Monday afternoon as a caravan of vehicles Zuluaga was travelling in passed by.

Zuluaga escaped both incidents unharmed but an adult and a six-year-old child were injured by “the shards from the explosive device”, he said.