Guerrillas Attack Colombian Town

Leftist rebels stormed a southwestern town Thursday, robbing banks and attacking the police station. One officer was killed and three people were wounded before army reinforcements arrived and the guerrillas withdrew.

The attack occurred in Florida, a town of 30,000 about 185 miles southwest of the capital, Bogota. Though rebels often clash with soldiers and target small towns, they rarely attack so close to a large city. Cali is only 20 miles away.

Authorities blamed Thursday’s attack and two others Wednesday on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the largest group fighting the government for more than three decades.

Wednesday, guerrillas destroyed a police station in Chalan, 340 miles north of Bogota, killing all 11 officers inside. In Labranzagrande, 135 miles east of Bogota, three soldiers were killed.

Rebels also launched two smaller attacks Thursday in Cajibio, a small town 230 miles southwest of Bogota, and in Remedios, 180 miles north of the capital. One guerrilla was killed in the Cajibio attack. It was not clear what guerrilla group was responsible for the smaller attacks.

Rebels attacked the Florida police station with explosives, grenades and automatic weapons, local police commander Franco Londono, one of 28 officers defending the station, told Caracol radio by telephone from inside the besieged building.