Colombian army rescues FARC hostages

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-7-3  |     ONLINE EDITION

Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe (R) speaks during a news conference as Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt (C) and one of the released hostages listen at the Casa Narino palace in Bogota today. More in photo gallery

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THE Colombian government said yesterday that its army had rescued former presidency candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three US advisers and 11 militaries sane and safe yesterday, who had been hostages of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said in a press conference that the hostages were rescued in the province of Guaviare (south) without a single injured in a covered operation of intelligence in eastern Colombia, and the liberated hostages have good health.

Betancourt, the US advisors Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, and 11 Colombian effectives (policemen and militaries) were taken to the military base of Tolima.

Santos gave his "sincere greetings to our men of the Army Intelligence."

"This operation called 'Jaque,' has not precedents and it leaves very high the quality and the professionalism of the Colombian military forces," Santos said.

The military intelligence agents infiltrated in the secretary of the FARC and told local commander "Cesar" in charge of the hostages that he had to take the hostages in helicopter to AlfonsoCano, maximum leader of the FARC, Santos said.

Military commanders surrounded the FARC and "Cesar" and his men agreed to deliver the hostages without giving resistance, Santos said.

Apparently, one of the rebels was captured by the militaries.

Betancourt, who will be 46 years old in December, was kidnapped on February 2002, when she was in a presidency campaign.

Betancourt also has French nationality and France also had a campaign for her release. The US advisors were captured in 2003 when was brought down the plane where they were making vigilance work. They were working as the US Pentagon contractors.

Meanwhile, Colombian Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo, who in 2006 was able to escape from the FARC after six years of being a hostage, Wednesday manifested his excitement for the release of the 15 persons.