Mob burns bank in Colombia

Bogota, Aug 17 (IANS/EFE) Residents of a Colombian town looted and burned down a bank to protest the death of a boy in an alleged military shooting.

People of El Tarra town began a violent protest Monday following the death of 12-year-old Luis Santos and the wounding of three other children Sunday night, allegedly by soldiers. The angry crowd looted and burned the local office of state-owned Banco Agrario and laid siege to the town hall.

The military has, however, said it was only involved in a clash with guerrillas.

“The confrontation was against the civilian population. They killed a 12-year-old boy and wounded three minors and Monday morning they wounded another boy,” a protest leader said.

–IANS/EFE