Six 'Terrorists' Detained Following Two Explosions During Rally

Drones carrying bombs were reportedly involved in what is being called by the Venezuelan government an assassination attempt against President Nicolás Maduro Saturday. The President was uninjured in the attack.

The Washington Post reports that six people described as "terrorists" have been detained in connection with the attack. The Venezuelan government said drones carrying explosives targeted Maduro as he gave a nationally-televised speech at a rally. Interior Minister Néstor Luis Reverol said in a statement that all of the  “material and intellectual authors inside and outside of the country” have been identified, but did not elaborate.

Seven soldiers were injured in the attack, which was captured on video. Maduro accused "far right" extremists with links to Venezuelan dissidents and Colombia living in the United States for planning the attack.

Reverol said two drones, which he said were DJI M600s, were used to carry the explosives. They did not reach their target area before the bombs were detonated. In videos said to be captured at the scene, one drone impacted a building and the other exploded in midair.

But the veracity of the videos is in question. Opposition leaders in Venezuela say the government is using the apparent attack as a reason to round up dissidents and army deserters and to distract the public from the country's economic problems. The U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail reports that the blast was caused by a gas tank explosion inside an apartment building.

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: Original report