Alejandría shopping centre rocked 'by huge explosion' as cops lock down Colombian city

A huge explosion has been reported at a in , with the area being forced into lockdown by and terrified crowds seen sprinting away from the scene.

Officers have activated a major security operation around Alejandría in downtown Cúcuta in the aftermath of the explosive incident. According to local reports, several people have been injured and are being evacuated via .

In dramatic video footage posted to X, chaos can be seen erupting at the large mall after an explosion sent the crowds of shoppers fleeing in terror.

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Some locals were seen carrying what appeared to be an injured person off to safety as other shoppers sprinted towards exits in scenes of panic. Another video shows a man being by police outside the Alejandría shopping centre.

At least two people have been confirmed as injured in the suspected grenade attack, which follows months of similar attacks across Colombia. In March, an explosion rocked an area of the capital, Bogota, after two men on a motorbike tossed an explosive device into a group of people gathered on a street corner, injuring three.

According to local news outlet Areacucuta, the Metropolitan Police of Cúcuta confirmed that the swift response of the authorities led to the capture of an alleged perpetrator, who was arrested and led away from the scene.

The outlet added that at least two shoppers had been injured. Posts on social media have also alleged there have been multiple injuries at the shopping centre. One local filming the aftermath said on X/: "#Attention #Urgent A powerful explosion has just occurred minutes ago near the Alejandría shopping center, in the central area of #Cúcuta . Injured people are being reported".

A Colombian police bomb squad was called to the road outside the shopping centre to ascertain if there was any more explosive ordnance in the area, which they ruled out.

A motive has not yet been revealed by police investigators. However, local media indicate that two people were arrested.

According to the publication La Opinión, in the days before the attack, a video attributed to the criminal gang known as the "AK47s" circulated on social media, in which they issued warnings to businesses and the mayor of Cúcuta. They warned that the city should "fall in line" and mentioned the shopping centre.

Mayor Acevedo acknowledged the likely role of militant criminal gangs in the shopping centre explosion, stating: “We have received constant threats due to the results obtained in recent days. Our priority remains the security of Cúcuta."

In the March grenade attack in Bogota, police laid the blame on a growing drug war between a Venezuelan crime group known as Los Venecos and a rival Colombian gang called Los Costeños. This feud has seen multiple explosive attacks between the gangs, killing four and injuring dozens during a five-week bombing campaign.

In 2017, three women were killed at a shopping centre at the Zona Rosa area of the capital city Bogotá, in what the authorities confirmed was a terrorist attack. Eleven other people were injured in the attack.

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