THE blast was deafeningly loud. And then it fell silent. A few seconds later, a man cried out: “Help...help...” Another voice exclaimed, “Oh my god...oh my god...” The narrow room that was dark moments ago suddenly lit up. The door of the bulletproof vehicle that was lined with Kevlar—a material capable of withstanding a rocket strike—was blown away.

“With an unbearably throbbing chest and aching feet, I tried to calm Emilio, who w