Date:25/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/25/stories/2004122500581500.htm

International

Bus massacre shocks Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA (HONDURAS), DEC. 24. Assailants claiming to be members of a revolutionary group opposed to the death penalty opened fire on a public bus in northern Honduras, killing at least 23 passengers and escalating an ongoing battle between gangs and a Government dedicated to fighting them.

The shooting took place at 7:40 p.m. local time on Thursday in the northern Atlantic city of Chamelecon, 200 km north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Police arrested a suspect who was driving a car similar to that identified by witnesses as having been present at the attack. The suspect is an alleged member of violent gangs that have terrorised residents, mostly in the poor neighbourhoods of Honduras' major cities.

The assailants left a large piece of paper taped to the bus's front windshield with a message saying they represented a revolutionary group that opposes the death penalty. The message contained ``vulgar words'' against the congressional President, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and the Security Minister, Oscar Alvarez.

Warning note

The assailants' note warned that ``people should take advantage of this Christmas, because the next one will be worse,'' said the spokesman. The attack came just two days after Mr. Alvarez announced that authorities had uncovered plans by drug traffickers and local criminals to assassinate the President, Ricardo Maduro.