IRA suspects ‘gave semtex training to Colombian rebels’

Three suspected members of the IRA arrested in Colombia were training left-wing guerrillas in urban bombings, it has been reported.

In a radio message allegedly intercepted by military intelligence, Jorge Briceno - leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC - said the three men would train guerrilla forces in the use of the explosive Semtex.

‘‘They have it and know how to use it. We need to spread this knowledge to various fronts, including cities,’’ Briceno said.

Colombia’s 37-year civil war has been largely fought in the countryside, leaving the major cities for the most part unaffected. But military officials fear the FARC has plans to move into the cities.

The radio message was intercepted on August 9 by a communications unit in Caqueta state in southern Colombia.

An army official could not confirm that the military turned over intercepted radio messages.

Briceno spoke about Semtex that he planned to get from IRA officials, possibly moving it through Venezuela.

‘‘I have said that we have to shake up the cities to see if the enemies of a political way out understand that they have to open up spaces and that we are not going to solve this with more fighting,’’ Briceno said.

The three suspected members of the IRA - Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan - were arrested last week on their way to Paris after having spent five weeks in Colombia, army officials said.

The three could face trial in Colombia for allegedly training FARC members on how to use explosives, including car bombs and mortars.

The military says the group was in rebel territory from early July to mid-August conducting the training, possibly in return for arms, cash or cocaine. Colombian officials said the three got into the country with fake passports.

The arrests have deepened scepticism about the peace processes in both Colombia and Northern Ireland - and fuelled some suspicions that Cuba may have a role.

Cuba’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Connolly had lived in Cuba for five years as the Latin America representative for Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA, and, in a prepared statement, denied that Cuba was involved with FARC or the IRA.