• The officers were driving away from a social event in Huila’s south-western department.
• Their vehicle collided with a road mine and was then shot dead in an ambush.
• It is the most serious attack on security forces since left-wing President Gustavo Petro took office.

An explosion and shooting attack in Colombia killed seven police officers.

They were driving away from a social event in Huila’s southwestern department when their vehicle collided with a road mine.

According to a police spokesperson, they were then shot dead in the ambush.

It is the most serious attack on security forces since former guerrilla Gustavo Petro took office as Colombia’s first left-wing president less than a month ago.

Images obtained by El Tiempo newspaper showed bodies strewn around a police pickup truck.

The government initially reported eight deaths, but later revised the figure to seven dead and one injured.

Three of the officers killed were under the age of 20, according to the national police and the attorney general’s office.

In a tweet, Mr Petro condemned the attack, calling it “a clear act of sabotage against peace.”

He traveled to the regional capital of Neiva late on Friday for a security meeting.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Colombia’s Blu Radio has pointed the finger at guerrilla groups operating in the area.

According to security sources, dissidents from the now-defunct communist guerrilla group Farc operate in the area, according to Reuters.

Mr Petro was elected on a radical platform of fighting inequality by providing free university education, pension reforms, and high taxes on unproductive lands – a departure from Colombia’s previous tradition of electing only conservative presidents.

He also promised to fully implement a 2016 peace agreement.

In a tweet, Mr Petro condemned the attack, calling it “a clear act of sabotage against peace.”

He travelled to the regional capital of Neiva late on Friday for a security meeting.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Colombia’s Blu Radio has pointed the finger at guerrilla groups operating in the area.

According to security sources, dissidents from the now-defunct communist guerrilla group Farc operate in the area, according to Reuters.

Mr Petro was elected on a radical platform of fighting inequality by providing free university education, pension reforms, and high taxes on unproductive lands – a departure from Colombia’s previous tradition of electing only conservative presidents.

He also promised to fully implement a 2016 peace deal that ended a 50-year conflict with the Farc and to seek talks with the still-active National Liberation Army (ELN), widely regarded as Colombia’s last organised guerrilla group.

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