Honduran congresswoman, Gladis Aurora López, struck in the head with homemade explosive device

A Honduran congresswoman has been left with serious injuries after a homemade explosive device was hurled at her head as she was preparing to give statements to the media.

The attack was caught on camera by multiple witnesses, and shows 65-year-old Gladis Aurora López speaking to people gathered outside the building before a circular device smashes into the back of her head and explodes.

Politicians from the opposition National Party were gathering outside the Congress building in the Honduras capital, Tegucigalpa, on Thursday when the device was thrown.

It comes at a tense political time for Honduras, following the November 30 general elections which sparked fraud allegations after Nasry Asfura’s narrow presidential win.

“I don’t want to think it’s really for political reasons, but these are things that just can’t happen,” Mr Asfura said following the attack.

The party alleges the incident was carried out by members of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party, led by former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and his wife Xiomara Castro.

Head of the National Party’s congressional bloc, Tomás Zambrano, said that Ms López suffered significant injuries from the attack and was quickly treated by medical teams at the scene.

Despite serious injuries, Ms López is recovering well at a private hospital, and is in a stable condition.

Several other lawmakers who were standing with Ms López at the time were also left with minor injuries.

“We were giving interviews to the media, accompanied by fellow deputies from the National Party to begin the extraordinary session, and they threw bombs at us, with mortars,” Mr Zombrano said according to Times Now.

He further accused the ruling party of encouraging violence against the opposition and said: “These acts of violence have been perpetrated against the opposition for four years. They cannot continue abusing their power.”

Congress President Luis Redondo condemned the attack and ordered a probe into the incident.

“I have immediately instructed the security personnel of the National Congress to review the internal security cameras, as well as the 911 system records, in order to identify the person responsible for throwing an explosive device from outside the National Congress (public road) and proceed according to the law,” he said.

“No act of violence will be tolerated within the legislative building or against any member of the Legislative Branch.”

The country remains divided ahead of Mr Asfura’s January 27 inauguration.