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Attack on 2 Bars in Colombia Targeted Americans, U.S. Says

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From Times Wire Services

Americans were the intended targets of a weekend grenade attack on two bars in a trendy section of the Colombian capital, the U.S. Embassy said Tuesday.

The embassy warned U.S. citizens in Bogota to avoid popular nightspots and commercial centers.

The attack Saturday night killed one person and injured more than 70, including four Americans: three State Department contractors and an American Airlines pilot.

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Police said a man arrested while fleeing the area had admitted being a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the nation’s largest rebel group.

Rebels have vowed to hit U.S. targets because of Washington’s massive military aid to help the Colombian government fight the world’s largest cocaine industry, which rebels rely on for income.

The FARC has held three civilian Defense Department contractors hostage since February.

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