CAR BOMB IN COLOMBIA KILLS FIVE

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A car bomb exploded in front of a hotel in southern
coca-growing region on Friday, killing five people and injuring 27,
authorities said.

It appears the bomb's intended target was a military patrol and two of the
injured were soldiers, including one declared brain dead by soldiers.

The blast, in the town of La Hormiga 580 kilometers south of Bogota,
occurred at 10 a.m. and severely damaged the hotel as well as businesses
and some homes. La Hormiga is key center of the cocaine trade, where coca
farmers sell their product to drug-trafficking's middlemen.

Gov. Alvaro Salas of Narino state said it was not clear who was responsible
for the attack.

The army blamed it on leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia, or FARC, the country's oldest and largest rebel band. The FARC
mounted an offensive one week ago in which it has attacked more than a
dozen rural towns, killing more than 30 soldiers and police.