Venezuela dismantles "terrorist group" behind attacks on gov't targets

CARACAS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government announced Monday it succeeded in dismantling the "terrorist group" behind attacks on government buildings, including the Supreme Court of Justice.

The group was led by former police officer Oscar Perez who clashed with public security forces in Junquito, a mountainous community in northern Miranda state, along with an undetermined number of group members who were heavily armed, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

"Our troops were attacked while we were negotiating the surrender of the terrorist cell .... They resisted, they were killed and five criminals were captured," the statement said.

In Monday's operation, two police officers were killed and five officials were injured in the exchange of gunfire. It was not clear whether Perez was killed or captured in the deadly gunbattle with government forces.

Since early in the day, the country's social networks were abuzz with posts from both sides, including government backers and Perez, as events unfolded.

Perez, 36, had posted that he was "negotiating with officials (and) prosecutors."

Perez gained notoriety after he and his group stole a police helicopter from an air base in Caracas and used it to shoot on and lob explosives at the court building and the Interior Ministry in late June.

In mid-December, Perez and his men stole weapons from a military storehouse in San Pedro de los Altos, Miranda state. Enditem