Car bomb near police station in Mexico injures 11 people
A car rigged with explosives exploded near a municipal police station in Ojocaliente, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. Eleven people were injured — 10 civilians and a female police officer. The blast occurred on Sunday evening during celebrations honoring the city’s patron saint, Mexico News Daily reports.
Victims and damage
Rodrigo Reyes, the secretary general of the Zacatecas state government, said that explosives had been placed in a vehicle that had previously been reported stolen in the state of Jalisco. They detonated at approximately 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.
According to him, 10 of the injured people are in stable condition. He described the condition of one other person as requiring special attention, but noted that there was no threat to life. The explosion also damaged 30 properties, including residential homes, and 13 vehicles, among them police cars.
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Investigation and security
State prosecutor Cristian Camacho said investigators are examining a possible link between the attack and the detention of an 18-year-old man near the border between the states of Zacatecas and Aguascalientes on Saturday. According to the prosecutor, the detainee said he was a hired killer for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Camacho said law enforcement officers do not rule out the possibility that the explosion was a response to the detention. He also said that available data indicate CJNG’s possible involvement in the attack. As of Monday, no arrests in connection with the explosion had been reported. The federal Security Cabinet is cooperating with Zacatecas authorities in the investigation.
This was the third explosives-related attack in the state of Zacatecas in four days. Three police officers and one civilian were injured in the two previous attacks, which occurred on Thursday and Saturday. Ojocaliente Mayor Juan Manuel Zambrano canceled school classes on Monday, and municipal institutions were closed to visitors. Authorities strengthened security in the city by deploying military personnel and National Guard members.
