Colombian military rescues 27 abducted soldiers, dozens remain captive

According to the army, soldiers were taking portion successful an cognition successful San Juan de Micay erstwhile they were blocked by astir 600 locals.

Colombian authorities person rescued 27 retired of 72 soldiers who were held captive successful the southwest of the state successful an country controlled by rebel fighters and a cardinal portion for cocaine production.

In a connection connected Sunday, the subject noted 45 soldiers “remain deprived of their liberty nether the guerrilla regime”.

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“The National Army maintains a beingness successful the area, taking steps to reconstruct bid and guarantee the instrumentality of the kidnapped personnel,” it added.

The incidental took spot successful the Micay Canyon successful the Cauca Department, successful an country known for coca crops and a rebel faction of the erstwhile Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), known arsenic the Central General Staff, that has been attacking subject positions.

According to the army, the soldiers had been taking portion successful a subject cognition erstwhile astir 600 radical “obstructed the deployment of troops” successful San Juan de Micay.

The service added that the determination was “intended to facilitate power of routes utilized for cause trafficking and amerciable mining”.

Colombia has struggled to maintain security successful immoderate agrarian areas, wherever cause gangs and rebel groups are warring implicit territory abandoned by FARC aft it made bid with the authorities successful 2016.

Last year, President Gustavo Petro launched an violative to regain power of the area, but helium has encountered beardown section resistance.

In a station connected X, Petro said it was clip to fto the soldiers spell free.

“They could beryllium your children. The children of Colombia indispensable clasp each different and outlive their parents. The dialog committee is acceptable and it is the connection of the president,” helium wrote.

According to the government, detentions successful the section assemblage are often carried retired connected the orders of equipped groups successful the country wherever determination is small authorities presence.

But this is the 2nd clip successful little than a period that members of a defunct FARC radical person captured soldiers.

Last month, 33 soldiers were taken by villagers nether the orders of a rebel radical successful the confederate Department of Guaviare aft a gunfight that killed 10 members of the erstwhile FARC group.

At the time, the service said the villagers holding the soldiers were demanding the instrumentality of the assemblage of the killed rebels, which was transported to a morgue successful the provincial capital. The soldiers were returned 4 days later.