Car Bomb Explodes Near U.S. Envoy’s Residence in Lima

LIMA, Peru — A car packed with explosives detonated outside the U.S. ambassador’s residence just before dawn Monday, blowing a hole in a concrete wall that protects the building. An embassy spokesman said no one was injured.

A pro-Cuban group called the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement said in a statement distributed to foreign news agencies that it carried out the bombing in retaliation for the U.S. air raid on Libya last week.

The explosion cracked a 15-foot section of the wall around the residence and punched a hole three feet wide in the thick concrete. It shattered windows and rocked the surrounding residential neighborhood.

An embassy spokesman said there was no damage inside the building. “It woke up the ambassador (David Jordan), his family and the staff,” said the spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “He’s a heavy sleeper, but not that heavy.”