Former Colombian Interior Minister Fernando Londono narrowly survived a car bomb blast in Bogota that claimed the lives of at least two bodyguards on Wednesday.

It was unclear who was responsible for the attack, but President Juan Manuel Santos said Londono was the likely target, in a television address. Londono had received death threats in the past and had been a harsh critic of the rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, more commonly known by the acronym FARC.

I want to condemn in the most energetic manner this assassination attempt, Mr. Santos said. We will not be intimidated by terrorism. Just the opposite; it fills us with the courage to continue forward.

The grim scene produced some shocking images, including one of Londono being led away shortly after the explosion. Doctors later extracted glass shards from Londono's chest.

RELATED STORIES
colombia
Former Colombian Interior Minister Fernando Londono, who is injured, walks as he is guarded by a bodyguard after an explosion in a central avenue in Bogota May 15, 2012 REUTERS
colombia
Police officers, who are explosives experts, stand at the cordoned scene of an explosion in a central avenue in Bogota May 15, 2012. REUTERS
colombia
Injured people, with blood on their faces, walk at the scene of an explosion in a central avenue in Bogota May 15, 2012. REUTERS
colombia
A shoe is seen at the scene of an explosion in a central avenue in Bogota May 15, 2012. REUTERS
Explosion