6 arrested over Venezuelan President’s alleged assassination bid

Caracas : Six people have been arrested over an alleged assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro here, the interior minister said.

Maduro survived the assault on Saturday evening after several drones armed with explosives flew toward him while speaking at a commemoration ceremony of the 81st anniversary of the Venezuelan national guard, reports CNN.

The President he blamed far-right elements and Colombia’s outgoing president, Juan Manuel Santos of carrying out the foiled attempt.

Those arrested are accused of “terrorism and assassination”, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on state TV on Sunday.

Reverol said one of the detained had an outstanding arrest warrant for his alleged role in the August 2017 attack on a military base in Valencia.

The attackers used two DJI M600 drones that each carried 1 kg of C-4 explosive, the Minister added.

The munitions could cause damage in a radius of 50 metres and intelligence services were able to identify the nearby streets that were used for launching the drones from a distance.

One of the drones flew over the presidential stage with the intention of being detonated by the attackers, but he said the authorities were able to cause it to lose control and detonate outside the area the attackers targeted, CNN quoted the Minister as saying.

Reverol said the second drone lost control and fell into an apartment building, where it exploded on the first floor.

Live footage of Saturday’s incident showed Maduro suddenly looking up startled mid-speech, while beside him his wife, Cilia Flores, winced after a loud bang and dozens of soldiers were seen scattering.

Seven members of the national guard were injured during the attack.

—IANS

Also read-

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related Stories

Iran, Venezuela sign 20-yr partnership agreement

0
Tehran : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his visiting Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro signed a 20-year partnership agreement to boost cooperation in energy, economy,...

50 tonnes of aid enters Venezuela despite blockade: Opposition

0
Caracas : The Venezuelan opposition has said that 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid entered the country despite a blockade ordered by the government of Nicolas...

Venezuela seals border with Brazil

0
Caracas : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday ordered the country's southern border with Brazil be sealed off, media reported. "I have decided: in south Venezuela, starting at...

Venezuela’s Maduro open to EU initiative, Guaido plans aid corridor

0
Caracas : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed the European Union (EU)-backed International Contact Group on Venezuela, but said he would be prepared to meet...
WASHINGTON : The Republican-majority US House of Representatives has passed a bill to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel amid the Jewish nation’s ongoing war with the Hamas militant group in Gaza. The bill was passed on Thursday by...
Washington : The White House has announced that US President Joe Biden’s administration is set to establish the country’s first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia. At a press briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “President Biden...
ISTANBUL : Almost three weeks into the Israel-Palestine conflict, Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes including the latest attack on a Greek Orthodox Church. The fighting GAZA CITY Eight people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli attack on...
By Muslim Mirror Staff An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday resulted in the loss of approximately 500 Palestinian lives at the Al-Ahli Al-Arabi hospital in Gaza City. The hospital, which was already crammed with patients and displaced people, bore witness to...
GAZA CITY, Palestine : More than 400,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced in the Gaza Strip amid a massive Israeli air campaign, the UN humanitarian office said Saturday. “Most people have no access to clean drinking water after supply through...