Colombian military forces have rescued up to 45 civilians kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the country's northwestern Chocó department. Two soldiers were killed and five others wounded during the operation after explosives were detonated.
The hostages had been seized while travelling by bus on a highway between Quibdó and El Carmen de Atrato, a remote stretch in the Pacific coastal region bordering Panama. Among the captives were four minors, two of them only months old. Reports placed the number of freed hostages at 39.
The ELN has been expanding its ranks, reaching an estimated 6,810 fighters in 2025, a nine percent increase over the prior year. President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has given the guerrilla group one month to surrender its arms.