Dozens of captured Colombian soldiers released, says defense ministry

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Soldiers guard a gate after several inmates were killed in fights between gangs, in Guayaquil, Ecuador November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Santiago Arcos

BOGOTA  -  Nearly three-dozen soldiers who had been kidnapped by armed civilians in a jungle area of southeastern Colombia have been released, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday.

The soldiers were kidnapped on August 25 after clashes in a rural part of the El Retorno municipality left 11 guerrillas dead, including a commander of a dissident faction of the former FARC rebel group.

The 33 soldiers had been kidnapped shortly before evacuating the area, the minister had said.

The jungle region is a stronghold of a dissident faction of the former FARC rebel group, which rejected a 2016 peace deal.

The area is considered a strategic corridor for drug trafficking and is known for its extensive coca crops, the raw material used to make cocaine.

Authorities accuse the group of recruiting minors and pressuring civilians to resist the presence of state forces.

Kidnappings of armed forces' members are frequent in Colombia after a six-decade conflict that has left over 450,000 dead.

Leftist President Gustavo Petro launched a peace strategy in 2022 to halt clashes. Rights groups allege the plan has shown little fruits so far. 

 (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Kylie Madry // REUTERS)